The smart meter replaces the old electricity meter with a metering system that records consumption in 15-minute steps and transmits it automatically. The rollout is running nationwide; anyone operating a solar system or wanting to use dynamic tariffs can't do without it. New from 2026: metering costs appear as a separate metering charge on the bill – and you are entitled to your measurement data, free of charge.
Key points in brief
- The smart meter measures to the quarter-hour and transmits the data automatically – no more meter reading and estimated bills.
- Since 2026, metering costs are shown separately (metering charge per metering point) instead of hidden in the grid costs.
- You are entitled to your master and measurement data of the last five years – free of charge and machine-readable.
- Refusing is possible, but costs: the additional costs of conventional metering may be charged individually.
- For PV owners the smart meter is a must-have tool: feed-in, ZEV/LEG and dynamic tariffs presuppose it.
What does a smart meter do differently from the old meter?
The classic meter stubbornly adds up kilowatt-hours until someone reads it. An intelligent metering system (iMS) records electricity consumption – and, for producers, feed-in – in 15-minute load profiles and transmits the values automatically to the grid operator. That sounds technical, but changes three things in everyday life:
1. Billing by reality instead of estimation – no meter-reading appointments, no back-payment surprises from extrapolations. 2. Transparency: in the customer portal you see your consumption profile to the quarter-hour – the basis for any serious self-consumption optimisation. 3. New tariffs and models: dynamic tariffs, vZEV, LEG – practically everything the new energy law enables presupposes intelligent metering.
Do I have to accept the smart meter?
The rollout is prescribed by law, and the grid operator determines the timing in your area – there is no entitlement to earlier installation, just as there is no obligation on the grid operator to meet your preferred date.
You can in principle refuse installation – but with a price tag: the additional costs of conventional metering (reading, manual processing) may be charged to you individually from the time of refusal. On top of that you shut yourself out of the new possibilities: no dynamic tariffs, no vZEV, no LEG participation. Our sober assessment: for solar-system owners, refusal is an expensive detour without a destination.
What changes on the bill in 2026?
Until the end of 2025, metering costs were invisibly contained in the grid costs. Since the 2026 tariff year: metering charge and grid-usage charge are calculated and shown separately – per metering point, according to the polluter-pays principle. In return, the grid costs must fall by the metering costs.
An honest note that hardly anyone gives you: with small consumption the bottom line of the bill can still rise. Anyone drawing little electricity previously also paid little towards the (hidden) metering costs via the pure energy tariff – the fixed metering charge per metering point hits small consumers relatively harder. That's not a booking error but the intended consequence of the cost-reflective allocation. Conversely, households with higher consumption tend to benefit.
Relevant for producers: production metering may also be charged individually since 2026, and with bidirectional metering (consumption + feed-in at the same point) the full metering charge may not be incurred twice – only any additional costs of the second metering direction.
Your data, your rights
The new law considerably strengthens customers' position – three entitlements worth knowing:
| Entitlement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Data access | Master data + measurement data of the last 5 years (15-minute resolution), free of charge, in machine-readable format – retrievable and transferable to third parties of your choice |
| Customer interface | The smart meter must offer a local interface for real-time retrieval of your own data – important for energy managers |
| Additional meter | If the grid operator does not provide the prescribed interface, you are entitled to a supplementary meter at its expense |
As of: July 2026. Exception to the interface entitlement: legacy smart meters whose procurement was initiated before 2019 may continue to operate without a compliant interface until the end of their service life.
The practical benefit: with the 15-minute data your load profile can be analysed cleanly – for battery sizing, for monitoring or for the question of whether dynamic tariffs pay off for you.
Why the smart meter is a must-have tool for PV owners
Without intelligent metering, a modern solar system stays below its potential:
- Feed-in: quarter-hour recording of consumption and feed-in is the billing basis – all the more so with market-price models with quarterly values.
- vZEV and LEG: both models exist only virtually via the smart-meter data of all participants (the comparison).
- Dynamic tariffs: simply not permitted without an iMS – the time resolution is missing.
- Flexibility: anyone who wants to market their battery in future needs the metering infrastructure as a foundation.
The most common smart-meter question in our consultations is surprisingly rarely technical – it goes: "Do they get to my data?" The factual answer: the grid operator receives the load profiles it needs for billing and grid operation and is bound by data protection and unbundling rules; your data goes to third parties only if you authorise it. More interesting is the opposite direction, which hardly anyone uses: your own entitlement to five years of measurement data. We begin every battery and optimisation consultation with exactly this data retrieval – it costs nothing and replaces any guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
Does the smart meter cost me extra?
Installation within the rollout itself is not billed separately; the ongoing metering costs have appeared since 2026 as a separate metering charge on the bill – before, they were invisibly contained in the grid costs. With small consumption, the total bill can rise slightly as a result.
Can I refuse installation?
In principle yes – but the additional costs of conventional metering may then be charged to you individually, and dynamic tariffs, vZEV or LEG remain closed to you.
Do I see my data in real time?
In the customer portal typically with a one-day delay. For real time there is the local customer interface on the device – there an energy manager can pick up the values directly.
What happens to my old meter at the PV installation?
The grid operator switches to a metering that records consumption and feed-in – today as a rule a smart meter. This runs via the connection application, which is included in the standard scope of ecoEn projects.
Does the smart meter transmit constantly?
Transmission takes place, depending on the system, via the power grid (PLC) or mobile network, typically in short transmission windows. The devices are subject to the usual technical regulations; anyone wanting details receives the data sheet of the type used from the grid operator.
Free initial consultation
Your measurement data is the starting point.
We evaluate your load profiles and show what PV, battery or optimisation would concretely achieve for you. Free of charge and without obligation.
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Sources: ElCom (FAQ ES2050 since the Mantelerlass, as of 16 June 2026), StromVG/StromVV (Art. 17a, 17abis, 17g StromVG; Art. 8 ff. StromVV), grid operator publications.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
