The rollout of smart electricity meters is gathering pace across Austria, with more than 85% of the country’s 6.64 million meters now replaced with digital devices, according to a report by the energy regulator, E-Control.

E-Control board member Alfons Haber expects the figure to climb to 95% by the end of 2024. However, smaller network operators may need until 2025 or even 2026 to complete their upgrades, he said.

The report follows E-Control’s announcement that household electricity and gas prices will increase from next year.

Supporting the energy transition

Smart meters are considered crucial to Austria’s move towards a greener energy system. They enable a fairer distribution of grid costs and help stable electricity prices by better balancing energy generation, storage and consumption. The devices also offer households the choice of monthly billing or signing up for tariffs with hourly pricing.

The meters also allow users to monitor their electricity consumption in detail. Through online portals provided by network operators, households can see which days – or which even 15-minute intervals – had the highest usage. “This real-time information helps people identify ways to cut consumption and save money,” Haber explained.

Awareness still low

Although most households stick with the default setting, which sends daily usage data to network operators, interest in advanced features is growing. In 2023, the number of customers opting for full functionality, where electricity use is recorded every 15 minutes. increased by 200,000, bringing the total to 600,000.

However, awareness of the rollout remains low. A survey conducted by E-Control in October showed that only a third of respondents believed they had a smart meter, despite the devices now being in most homes.

Haber has urged network operators to raise public awareness. “According to our survey, 60% of respondents said they’d like more information about their energy usage,” he said.