Smart metering technology has a great potential to achieve cost-efficient energy savings, and its effective use is crucial in achieving the 2016 and 2020 energy efficiency targets in Europe. Moreover, smart meters play an important role in smart grids and reaching the EU 20 % renewable energy source target by 2020. However, smart meters themselves are only enabling technologies, which need to be coupled with innovative end-user services to reach better energy management through the means of rewards, automation and information.

The SmartRegions project focuses on innovative smart metering services, such as informative billing and feedback, variable tariffs and load control services, that are the most potential to bring energy savings and peak load reduction. In this, the project aims to inspire and encourage energy utilities, energy service providers as well as regulators across Europe to promote the development of these new services and to use the full potential of the new metering technology.

Smart metering technologies enable a wide variety of new and innovative reporting, feedback and demand response services, designed to provide the end-user with motivation and means for more efficient energy use. The SmartRegions project has identified best practice examples for smart metering services for residential, public and commercial buildings. These examples are listed by country in the map below. Energy saving services are marked with green dots and demand response services with red dots. Click the map to learn more about the European best practice examples for smart metering services.