Most private landlords (86 %) and business customers, meaning commercial landlords or managers (94 %), believe that the Act to Restart the Digitalisation of the Energy Transition (GNDEW) will accelerate the introduction of smart meters in Germany and that the technology will have a major impact on the property sector (57 % and 83 % respectively). These are the findings of a recent survey by energy services provider Techem.
Reasons for installing smart meters
Both groups most frequently cited simpler service charge accounting based on precise consumption data as their reason for installing smart meters in their properties (48 % and 55 % respectively), followed by reducing administrative work (38 % and 54 %). Among commercial landlords and managers, meeting sustainability targets (ESG) ranked third at 43 per cent; among private landlords, improving the building’s energy efficiency ranked third at 36 per cent. Gero Lücking, Head of Smart Metering at Techem, says: “Landlords who have already installed smart metering systems in their properties are satisfied, particularly with data accuracy, transparency in energy bills, reliability and ease of use.”
Reluctance over smart meter expansion
Nevertheless, the survey also shows that many landlords are still hesitant to install smart metering systems in their properties. Respondents whose properties were not equipped with smart meters cited excessive costs (33 % and 35 % respectively) and a lack of information about smart metering (33 % and 35 %) as the main reasons for their reluctance. Only 8 per cent of private customers and 25 per cent of business customers reported plans to equip, or further equip, their property with smart meters in the next six months. Around one fifth (21 %) of respondents who had originally considered installing smart meters said that they were postponing plans to install a smart metering system until a new government had been elected. Reluctance over the expansion of smart metering was particularly evident among private landlords: almost half of respondents (47 %) said that they had no plans to install them.
Smart building technologies particularly popular with commercial landlords
The rollout of smart meters plays a crucial role, particularly in the context of shared building supply (GGV). Under this supply model, electricity from a photovoltaic system installed on a building is made available proportionately to the property’s users. By recording both the amount generated and the electricity drawn from the grid by participating tenants precisely, smart metering systems provide the basis for implementing shared building supply in practice.
When participants were asked how familiar they were with this concept, the Techem survey revealed a clear discrepancy between private landlords and business customers. Almost half (47 %) of commercial landlords and managers said that they were familiar with the option of shared building supply, while only 11 per cent of private landlords said the same. Of those familiar with the GGV concept, 58 per cent of private landlords and 66 per cent of business customers planned to implement this supply model within the next six months.