Smart meters from 2025: How to save with dynamic electricity prices!

Smart meters from 2025: How to save with dynamic electricity prices!

Starting next year, households with higher electricity consumption will have to switch to smart meters, the so-called smart meters. This important change does not come out of the blue, but is part of the energy transition that the federal government is pushing forward with a new law. Spokesman Peer Holdensen announced that around 70,000 meters will be affected, particularly in the Flensburg municipal utilities supply areas. 20,000 new measuring devices have already been installed and there is confidence that the legal deadlines, which run until 2030, will be met.

In Schleswig-Holstein, this is not only happening in Flensburg: municipal utilities in Lübeck, Kiel and Neumünster are also in the process of adhering to the legally prescribed schedule, despite a general shortage of skilled workers in the industry. The aim is to make the use and feed-in of renewable energy more efficient. This is where intelligent measuring systems come into play, which are intended to bring numerous advantages to consumers.

What are Smart Meters?

A smart meter is more than just a modern electricity meter. It consists of a digital meter and a smart meter gateway that enables a data connection to automatically transmit information such as meter readings to the energy supplier. These devices not only offer a transparent display of current electricity prices, but can also help you control your own consumption more effectively.

However, not every household is obliged to install such a device. The legal requirement primarily affects households that use more than 6,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which typically applies to larger families and small businesses. Operators of power generation systems, such as photovoltaic systems with a nominal output of more than seven kilowatts, are also obliged to switch to smart meters.

Costs and savings for consumers

The introduction of smart meters not only brings advantages, but also costs, which the federal government has capped at 20 to 50 euros per year for operating a smart meter. However, there is a catch: in older buildings built before 1965, installing a new meter can cost thousands of dollars in additional costs if the meter cabinet needs to be rebuilt. In such cases, the homeowners are responsible.

Despite the initial costs, there is an opportunity to save through dynamic electricity prices. From 2025, energy suppliers will be required to offer these flexible prices, which can change hourly depending on supply and demand. This gives consumers the chance to target their electricity consumption at times when prices are low.

“Smart meters are essential for the use of dynamic tariffs, as they enable consumption to be billed on an hourly basis,” explains Merlin Lauenburg from the provider Tibber. Users of electric cars or heat pumps in particular can benefit from using these tariffs. Tom Janneck from the Schleswig-Holstein Consumer Center confirms this and explains that switching to dynamic tariffs is particularly worthwhile for those consumers who regularly use higher amounts of electricity.

The issue is particularly important because electricity prices are stabilizing again after an increase caused by the Ukraine conflict and have settled at a level like in autumn 2021, which is a relief for many consumers.

For more information about changes in energy policy and the impact on consumers see the current reporting on www.ndr.de.