Last updated: 16.01.2024, 10:28 a.m.
By: Kilian Bäuml
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Energy prices are rising, but with the new electricity meters – the smart meters – consumers should be able to adjust their consumption and save money.
Munich – The future of electricity consumption could lie in smart meters. They are still rather rare in private households, but this is set to change in the next few years. It is planned that by 2025, some households will be required to install smart meters. From the first day of 2025, all electricity providers will also have to offer dynamic electricity tariffs.
Smart meters are to be mandatory for some consumers as early as next year, but many can already benefit from them now. © Christian Charisius/dpa
If you want to be informed at an early stage, you should already get to grips with smart meters. There are some aspects to consider, such as the fact that smart meters consist of two parts: a digital electricity meter and a communication module for data transmission, as the ADAC explains. The goal of these smart metering systems is to provide users with precise control over their energy consumption. This makes it easier for consumers to adapt their behaviour and thus consciously save electricity in the long term.
Smart meters: How the new electricity meters are supposed to help you save money
Data is transmitted in both directions, allowing signals to be sent and received. This makes it possible, for example, to automatically turn devices in a smart home on or off when electricity is cheaper at certain times. Given the current high energy prices, this could be a good incentive for many households to save costs.
The smart electricity meter makes it possible to consciously monitor one's own consumption, adjust it if necessary, and thus save money. However, the consumer advice centre points out that you should not immediately expect a cheaper electricity bill.
The special thing about smart meters is the intelligent metering system. Electricity consumption is measured every 15 minutes and the data is sent directly to the electricity operator and energy suppliers via a secure internet connection. Consumers can look at any time via the customer portal or the operator's app and call up the current consumption and data. The device must be installed directly on the house connection.
An alternating current meter shows the current meter reading in kilowatt hours in a household. © Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa/Symbolbild
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When smart meters will become mandatory and who will have to install the new electricity meters
More and more people have solar systems and wallboxes for electric cars at home. At a time when renewable energies are becoming increasingly important, smart meters are intended to help efficiently coordinate the generation and consumption of electricity. If you have a solar system, you can sell surplus electricity on the stock exchange thanks to smart meters. The focus is on the optimal use of the energy generated.
From 2025, every household should be able to receive a smart meter. However, there is a legal obligation for three groups:
By 2032 at the latest, all households in Germany are to be equipped with smart meters. If you don't want to wait and want to have a smart meter installed voluntarily from 2025, you will have to pay for it. The price cap is a one-time fee of 30 euros. However, the consumer advice centre points out that additional costs may arise if a conversion of the meter cabinet is required for the installation of the modern metering device or the intelligent metering system. These additional costs must be borne in full.
Saving with a new electricity meter: There is to be an upper limit on the costs of smart meters
Anyone who fears that the cost of smart meters will cancel out the savings in electricity consumption can rest assured. A price cap is foreseen for smart meters. For example, the metering point operator may charge households in his area with an annual consumption of between 6,000 and 10,000 kilowatt hours a maximum of 20 euros per year. For households with higher electricity consumption or solar systems, wallboxes and heat pumps, the fee can be up to 50 euros per year.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at their own discretion. All information has been carefully verified. Learn more about our AI principles here.