Leading the way in Germany: 100,000th smart meter installed in Berlin
Berlin state properties also equipped / contributing to the digitalisation of the power grid
21.10.2026
They offer increased transparency regarding electricity consumption, can facilitate dynamic electricity tariffs and make the power grid more digital: smart meters. They are an important part of the energy transition, and Stromnetz Berlin has been installing this infrastructure, which complies with the requirements of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), throughout the city since the summer of 2020. In early October, the 100,000th smart meter was installed at the "Gewerbehof Bülowbogen" commercial courtyard in Berlin-Schöneberg. Berlin’s distribution network operator therefore remains the nationwide leader in smart meter deployment.
Stromnetz Berlin is not only the distribution network operator in the capital but also the designated metering point operator, making it responsible for 2.4 million electricity meters. Germany’s Federal Network Agency oversees all metering point operators and has set targets for smart meter deployment, the so-called rollout. Stromnetz Berlin is also leading the way in this respect, as the company has already completed around half of the required "mandatory installations". Indeed, around 5,000 smart meters have been installed at all Berlin state properties in recent months. The key benefit: Meter readings are transmitted automatically. This eliminates manual readings and, for example, enables comparisons of energy consumption.
From a single meter on the EUREF Campus to large-scale deployment
Stromnetz Berlin installed Berlin’s first smart meter on the EUREF Campus in Schöneberg in August 2020, gaining valuable experience in the years that followed. Up to 2025, Stromnetz Berlin had been rolling out the new generation of meters exclusively using its own staff. However, partner companies are now also being commissioned to install these meters. This allows tens of thousands of smart meters to be installed every year.
The technology involved here has seen continuous further development and refinement. Using encrypted mobile communications, a device known as a smart meter gateway, installed next to the electricity meter itself, collects all of the readings taken every 15 minutes throughout the day and then transmits these once a day. Initially, each meter had its own gateway. But today, one gateway can serve up to six meters.
Smart meters are the future – but will not be installed everywhere
Stromnetz Berlin already equips all new installations in the city with digital electricity meters as standard. These can then be transformed into "smart" units quickly and easily by adding a gateway. Not all customers need a smart meter. However, they are mandatory in certain cases, such as when installing an electric vehicle charging point or a large photovoltaic system. Stromnetz Berlin has set out the various options on its customer portal and digitalised the process to keep waiting times as short as possible. Those customers that do not yet have a smart meter, or for whom installation is not mandatory, can also order one via the website.
The next step for smart meters is to equip them with additional devices known as control boxes. These are required by law and allow network operators, in exceptional circumstances such as grid congestion, to temporarily reduce the electricity consumption of certain customer installations.