A cumbersome reporting procedure for the rollout

27.01.2026

Source: E & M powernews

The Federal Network Agency's statistics lag behind the actual status of the rollout of smart metering systems

Shortly before Christmas, the Federal Network Agency published the status of the rollout of smart metering systems as of September 30, 2025. The figures are based on quarterly reports from around 800 metering point operators with basic responsibility - the legislator has generally assigned this role to local and regional distribution network operators.

By December 31, 2025, these companies had to have completed at least 20 percent of their legally prescribed mandatory installations of smart metering systems. In many cases, it is not yet possible to say whether they have actually fulfilled this obligation. This is because the reports for the last quarter of last year do not have to be submitted until February 4, 2026.

In the summer of 2024, the Federal Network Agency set out to use the survey to provide a sound basis for the political and regulatory discussion and guidance for practitioners. The fact that the actual status of the rollout at the time the data was published on the Federal Network Agency's website was already completely different has caused displeasure in recent weeks and months. Who has reached the 20% quota and who has not will therefore not be made public until the end of the first quarter of 2026.

At the Metering Days last autumn, Jan Peter Sasse, Head of the Electricity Distribution Networks Division at the Federal Network Agency, admitted that he had not escaped "a certain amount of criticism". On the one hand, this was due to a longer reaction period for the companies. For example, the report for the third quarter had to be submitted by November 11. On the other hand, the authority had to follow up very frequently, check plausibility and make inquiries with around 10 percent of metering point operators. "We also initiate supervisory proceedings if companies fail to provide figures," says Sasse. And those who fail to meet their 20 percent target will be subject to the authority's "strict supervisory powers".

Penalties can be imposed repeatedly

In response to a recent inquiry from E&M, the authority specified that penalty payments do not constitute a sanction. They serve to enforce legally prescribed conduct. "If metering point operators with basic responsibility do not meet the 20 percent quota from the Metering Point Operation Act by the statutory deadline of 31.12.2025 (query Q4 2025), the Federal Network Agency will take supervisory measures, taking into account the degree and extent of non-compliance, i.e. oblige metering point operators with basic responsibility to remedy the conduct contrary to the Metering Point Operation Act," a spokesperson told E&M in writing.

The amount of the penalty payment depends on the economic capacity and the extent of the statutory breach of duty. "The penalty payment in accordance with Section 94 sentence 3 EnWG is at least 1,000 euros and can be up to 10 million euros," the spokesperson said. Penalties can be imposed repeatedly and also increased in order to enforce and enforce the statutory behavior. However, the Federal Network Agency decides which measure is actually considered - ultimately, the basic responsibility could also be withdrawn and transferred to the collection point operator - in specific supervisory procedures.

The official figure is questionable in individual cases: Stadtwerk am See

The example of Stadtwerk am See shows that the rollout quotas published by the Federal Network Agency should sometimes be treated with caution. The supplier from Friedrichshafen believed that it was well on the way to meeting the quota by the deadline of June 30; the 20 percent of the 2,958 mandatory installations that were relevant at the time would "definitely" be completed on time. At the time, 550 of the 591 required units had already been installed - and exclusively by the company's own employees, the company told E&M at the time.

At the end of the third quarter, however, only 5.9% had been registered for Stadtwerk am See. "We have already noticed the difference. We are therefore in contact with the BNetzA to compare the calculation bases," a company spokesperson told E&M.

You can read a detailed article on the status of the rollout of smart metering systems in the February 1 print edition of Energie & Management.

Author: Fritz Wilhelm