The smart meter is coming!

A lot of changes are afoot in the Flemish energy landscape. First there was the increase in the price of electricity that every family is already feeling at the moment, and now another change is on the horizon.

Starting in 2019, the gradual introduction of the smart meter will begin in Flanders. But what exactly is a smart meter? Well that's pretty easy to explain. The smart meter is a newer generation of meter to replace the old traditional meters. The main difference lies in the fact that the owner of a smart meter can see which consumers he has and how much these consumers actually consume. This way it is much easier to start channeling your consumption, and you can see in which areas you can save even more.

Of course, it is not possible to provide everyone with a smart meter at the same time. Those to be addressed first are new construction and homes undergoing energy renovation. Solar panel owners will also need to hang a smart meter soon.

What is already certain for owners of solar panels is that those who implement a smart meter will no longer have a receding meter. But to compensate for this, the Flemish government will work out a compensation scheme the owners of solar panels. Those who register their installation with VREG before December 31, 2020 can take advantage of this benefit scheme.

What will be the cost to households? There is currently a study to calculate what the cost will be for the introduction of smart meters. A major advantage of the smart meter is, of course, that families will have a much better view of their consumption and can therefore do something about it more easily. Moreover, meter readings no longer have to be measured through a home visit, they can now be transmitted digitally.