Smart meters save money and prevent wasting renewables: Which country is leading Europe’s rollout?

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Smart meters are becoming crucial for managing Europe’s electricity grids, enabling households to shift consumption to periods of high renewable generation, reduce curtailment, and save on energy costs
• Yet rollout remains uneven across the continent, with Germany lagging far behind despite mandates

🔭 The context: Variable renewable energy such as wind and solar has grown faster than grid flexibility in Europe, creating a need for smarter demand management
• Smart meters automatically transmit usage data, support time-of-use tariffs, and allow consumers to participate in energy communities
• EU targets propose at least 50% smart meter adoption by 2030 and 65% by 2033, but current adoption is roughly 60%, with wide disparities between countries

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: By aligning energy consumption with periods of renewable generation, smart meters reduce reliance on fossil-fuel backup, prevent wasted renewable electricity, and lower greenhouse gas emissions
• Efficient grid use also minimizes curtailment payments, which are ultimately borne by consumers and producers of conventional energy

⏭️ What’s next: Europe faces a push to accelerate smart meter adoption, particularly in lagging countries like Germany, Hungary, and Romania
• Integrating smart meters with electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home batteries will further enable decarbonization of the energy system

💬 One quote: “Turning renewable electricity into a fully flexible resource requires that consumers, as well as operators, have real-time visibility and control over energy use.” – Angela Symons, Euronews

📈 One stat: 2% of German households had an advanced smart meter installed as of 2024, one of the lowest rates in Europe

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