Intelligent electricity meters, so-called smart meters, are intended to provide energy suppliers and consumers with data on smart electricity use as soon as possible. On Thursday, the Bundestag passed the law to restart the digitization of the energy transition, which is intended to promote the nationwide installation of smart meters. So far, this rollout has been slow.

According to experts, the expansion of renewable energies and the greater use of electric cars and heat pumps require an intelligent link between electricity generation and consumption. The smart measuring devices are therefore necessary to balance the power grid of the future and the volatile feed-in of electricity from sun and wind and at the same time high and changeable consumption of e-cars or heat pumps.

Smart meters are useful for private households because they make electricity consumption transparent and thus enable savings. "In the future, it will then be as easy to read one's own consumption as the fuel consumption of the car or the charge level of the mobile phone, for example via a smartphone app," explained the digital association Bitkom. According to a survey by the association, 61 percent of respondents would like to use digitally networked electricity meters.

Dynamic electricity tariffs become possible

Smart meters also make dynamic electricity tariffs possible, where the price can change several times a day. This allows households to use electricity when it is particularly cheap. According to the law, private households and small system operators should not have to pay more than 20 euros per year for an intelligent metering system.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, most households and large-scale consumers such as companies, schools and swimming pools should be equipped with smart meters by 2030. By 2033, 95 percent of all consumers should have a smart meter.

In order to accelerate the pace, the new law, for example, eliminates the three-manufacturer rule, which previously required the certification of three independent manufacturers for each stage of development. In the future, the pace will be set by the most innovative manufacturer, and there will be no need to wait for at least three manufacturers to tie the technical gap.