“How smart may smart meters be?”

The German Parliament has decided there will be no regulatory obligation for average households to install smart meters for their electricity consumption, writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). However, from next year on, large consumers with 10,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) must install such digital power meters, and the threshold will be lowered to 6,000 kWh in 2020. “The intelligent devices are meant to offer detailed insights into consumer behaviour and reveal savings potential,” writes the FAZ. Utilities may offer the smart meters on a voluntary basis with a cost price cap of 40 euros per year for households. Consumer associations have criticised the devices, saying they are too costly, have little use and are questionable for reasons of data protection, writes FAZ.

Read the article in German here.