Digital change in the heart of Vienna: Electricity meter progress in St. Stephen's Cathedral!

Digital change in the heart of Vienna: Electricity meter progress in St. Stephen's Cathedral!

The Vienna networks have reached an impressive milestone: With the replacement of the electricity meters in the historic St. Stephen's Cathedral, 95 percent of all old meters in Vienna have now been converted to modern smart meters. This was done in accordance with the requirements of the European Union and the Austrian legislature, which called for the changeover by the end of 2024. Over 1.6 million households and businesses benefit from this advanced technology, which is not only more energy efficient, but also enables an overview of their own energy consumption. “The smart meters are the cornerstone of the energy transition by 2040 and make a significant contribution to climate and environmental protection,” explained Peter Hanke, the city’s economic and financial councilor.

Innovative technology for all customers

With these latest electronic meters, Wiener Netze customers can access their electricity data easily and conveniently via a web portal. This promotes active energy saving by making energy consumption transparent and traceable. Not only consumers, but also network operators benefit because they can control their networks more efficiently through digitalization. “Our transparent system helps to maintain security of supply at a high level,” added Ilse Hirt, Managing Director of Wiener Netze.

The intelligent electricity meter works by measuring energy consumption in real time and transmitting the data to the Vienna networks via the power grid. Users can see their consumption the following day and benefit from the opportunity to accurately record their own energy production through photovoltaic systems or heat pumps. This technology is not only a step into modernity, but also lays the foundation for future developments in the field of energy supply. How wienernetze.at reports, the smart meter can even be integrated into smart home systems, further optimizing energy consumption.

When the last meters were handed over in St. Stephen's Cathedral, those responsible emphasized the importance of digitalization for the modern use of energy resources. The Wiener Netze are characterized not only by innovative solutions, but also by an environmentally conscious approach aimed at a successful energy transition. Siemens is playing a key role as a technology partner in driving forward the digitalization of the power grid.