Almost 800,000 smart meters were installed in the first half of the year, but the rate remains low. Most other countries in the EU are already much further along.
In Germany, only 5.9 percent of all measuring points are equipped with an intelligent electricity meter. (Archive image) Photo: Helge Toben/dpa
Bonn. Electricity consumption in Germany is only measured by intelligent electricity meters in a few places. At the end of June, so-called smart meters were installed at 5.9 percent of the 54 million measuring points, as the Federal Network Agency in Bonn announced. In the first half of the year, 765,000 new devices were added.
In the spring, the authority initiated proceedings against electricity distribution network operators who do not meet the statutory expansion targets. “After opening supervisory procedures, we can now see that the rollout is making progress nationwide,” said authority President Klaus Müller, according to a statement.
Smart meters measure electricity consumption every 15 minutes
Smart meters consist of a digital meter and a communication unit. They measure a household's electricity consumption every 15 minutes and transmit the data to the network operators and energy suppliers.
With such intelligent metering systems, households can see exactly what time of day they have used and how much electricity. If consumers have taken out a special electricity tariff, they can, for example, schedule the operation of a washing machine or the charging of an electric car at times when there is a lot of solar and wind energy when electricity is cheaper. At the same time, network operators can use the data to better control their network.
Germany is lagging far behind in the EU
So far, network operators have only been obliged to convert private customers under certain conditions, for example if a heat pump or a larger solar power system has been connected to the household. In Europe, Germany is therefore lagging far behind when it comes to retrofitting.
According to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (Acer), around 66 percent of recorded household customers in the EU and Norway had a smart meter at the end of 2025, according to an evaluation from the end of July.
Ten countries with a 99 percent rate - or more
In most EU member states, the coverage rate is reportedly more than 80 percent. In several countries, however, it is below 20 percent. “This limits consumers’ ability to adjust their electricity consumption in real time,” the agency noted.
A table shows that at the end of 2025, Germany had the lowest equipment ratio among the countries surveyed - behind the Czech Republic (8.0 percent) and Hungary (9.5 percent). Data from Romania, Bulgaria and Greece were not available. The following countries had coverage rates of 99 percent or more: Denmark, Finland, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia and Spain.
