E.ON installing 165,000 smart meters in Hungary

E.ON Hungária Group is currently installing more than 165,000 new smart meters in Transdanubia and Pest County in west and central Hungary, including the capital Budapest.

The smart meter installation forms part of a major rollout, with 650,000 smart meters installed to date. Two-thirds are operated by E.ON.

The HUF10.074 billion (US$27 million) rollout is being supported by the Hungarian government’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Under its REPowerEU commitment, the government intends to fund the installation of around 525,000 smart meters from the RRF, which together with those of other companies should bring the total up to about 800,000 units.

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“By building the network of the future, we provide our customers with solutions that enable them to become more conscious and sustainable about their own energy use,” said Guntram Würzberg, President and CEO of E.ON Hungária Group in a statement.

“Smart meters are part of an intelligent, responsive network whose development is a strategic goal for E.ON.”

He adds that in the current year the company is investing €390 million (US$415 million) in the network, increasing to €1 billion over the coming years.

E.ON has been increasing the proportion of smart meters in its service area as part of its strategy aimed at the complete renewal of the electricity network of Transdanubia and Pest counties, according to the statement.

The spread of these new-generation devices provides tangible help in solving domestic sustainability and security of supply challenges on a national scale.

From the customers’ perspective, one of the most important features considered for the smart meters is the elimination of personal meter readings.

They also will facilitate the integration of distributed solar PV systems, which are gaining fast-growing interest in Hungary, enabling users to easily see how much energy they have used or fed back into the grid and to schedule their use of household appliances when the solar panels produce the most energy.

Attila Steiner, State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy at the Ministry of Energy, says the recovery facility funding for smart meters not only provides more convenient access but also increases energy awareness.

“Service providers and users can thus flexibly adjust their production and obtain transparent and accurate data, which opens up new opportunities for them. This is indeed an important step towards increasing Hungary’s energy security and strengthening our energy sovereignty.”