The Federal Network Agency recently initiated investigations in March involving 77 grid operators who have reportedly failed to install even a single smart meter. According to Klaus Müller, the agency’s president, this action is not based on addressing minor delays but on operators missing clear and mandatory legal deadlines. Speaking on the NTV podcast “Klima-Labor” Müller warned that if progress is not seen, the agency’s subsequent measures will clearly aim for imposing substantial fines.
Müller explained that his agency has been systematically questioning the installation progress on a quarterly basis over the past year, processes that were necessary to calculate and accelerate the mandatory rollout. Despite these efforts, dozens of companies have failed to begin the deployment. When describing the reactions to the investigations, Müller noted that some operators have admitted the process was somehow overly complex or poorly managed. However, he quickly dismissed these excuses, emphasizing that the agency does not want to hear such justifications and strictly demands to know when the 77 companies will fulfill their obligations.
While accepting that smaller network operators may face unique installation challenges-often because the rollout is handled incidentally by colleagues-Müller stressed that personnel capacity cannot be used as an excuse. He pointed out that these companies could have contracted external service providers. On a positive note, the article highlighted the city utilities in Lübz as an example, noting that they achieved 100 percent of mandatory coverage in 2024, making them the first such operator in Germany.
Germany employs a selective strategy for installing smart meters, differing from much of Europe. The initial requirement affects 813 basic grid operators, who must equip all private and commercial users with an annual consumption exceeding 6,000 kilowatt-hours. The directive also applies to users capable of producing more than 7 kilowatt of electricity, as well as households equipped with controllable appliances such as heat pumps or battery storage systems.
The mandatory goal for installation completion is set at 90 percent by the end of 2032, with a milestone of 20 percent set for 2025. This 2025 target, however, has been surpassed nationwide. According to the Federal Network Agency, 23.3 percent of mandatory cases are currently equipped with a smart meter. When considering all meters across all residential and commercial premises, the overall installation rate stands at 5.5 percent.
Consequently, Germany trails its European counterparts in the smart meter rollout. Back in 2021, countries such as Denmark and Sweden had already achieved 100 percent coverage for all households. Other nations, including Estonia, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, and Spain, reported rates of 98 percent at that time, while France, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, and Slovenia exceeded 80 percent.