Cyprus smart meter rollout gets under way
Image: EAC
The smart meter rollout in Cyprus has begun with a small pilot in four cities, the capital Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos.
While the numbers of meters haven’t been specified, the aim of the pilot, which was launched by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus in mid-January, is to test operations, check the communications and address any problems that arise.
The pilot prefaces what is due to be an island-wide 500,000 smart meter rollout by 2028.
The rollout is due to start in the urban areas, and in the four pilot cities in particular, in residential, small business and industrial premises that are billed bi-monthly.
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With the smart meters customers should have immediate access to their daily consumption information and access to advanced pricing systems.
Prepaid options also are available, particularly for properties that are rented out for short periods.
The smart meter rollout in Cyprus has been subject to multiple delays over some five years, most recently due to a challenge to the award of the rollout to the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA).
However, the award was upheld on the grounds of public interest, with the potential loss of EU funding for the rollout.
Nevertheless the rollout can be seen as forming part of the 10-year distribution network modernisations, which is currently being consulted on.
Other details of the rollout, including the supplier of the smart meters, are yet to be made available.
The rollout, for which to €50 million ($52 million) is being allocated, is being supported with up to €35 million in funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.
