Smart Meter: Intelligente Stromzähler: Quote steigt langsam

Intelligent monitoring of electricity consumption is currently limited to a few locations in Germany, with smart meters installed at only 5.9% of the country's approximately 54 million measurement points as of mid-June, according to the Bundesnetzagentur in Bonn. During the first half of the year, 765,000 new devices were added.

The authority had initiated proceedings against electricity distribution network operators who failed to meet statutory expansion targets in the spring. "Following the opening of supervisory proceedings, we can now observe a nationwide rollout," stated Authority President Klaus Müller.

Smart meters record electricity consumption every 15 minutes and transmit the data to network operators and energy suppliers. They provide households with detailed information on how much electricity they use during specific times of the day. Consumers with a specialized electricity tariff can potentially schedule activities like washing machines or electric vehicle charging during times when electricity is cheaper due to high levels of solar and wind power. Meanwhile, network operators can better control their networks using this data.

In comparison to other EU countries, Germany lags significantly in the adoption of smart meters. While 66% of households in the EU and Norway had smart meters by the end of 2025, according to an evaluation in late July, Germany was far behind. In most EU member states, the installation rate exceeds 80%, but in several countries, it falls below 20%.

Germany had the lowest installation rate among the monitored countries at 8.0% in 2025, behind the Czech Republic (8.0%) and Hungary (9.5%). Data from Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece was not available. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, and Spain had installation rates of 99% or higher.