The electronic meter is expanding in Europe. And to a great extent this has been achieved thanks to Enel, world leader in this field, which first launched the project in 2001 in Italy and now, after having installed these devices for all its Italian customers, is promoting them in other countries. Specifically in Spain, the aim is to install 13 million electronic meters by 2015.
The next new frontier is at the East, in the Balkan nations. In 2011 Enel won a tender to supply 175,000 electronic meters and 1,200 concentrators in Montenegro. The first 10,000 electronic meters will be distributed in December. The project, developed together with Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), is a significant step forward towards the modernization of the electricity system in this country and achieving greater closeness with the Western model, with important effects also regarding emission reduction.
The next phase will take place in Romania, where Enel has been operating for long. Here, electronic meters will begin in 2012 and will be the main investment made by Enel in this country. Also in this case the project is included in a general program aimed at automating and digitizing the national electricity system.
In the meantime, other countries are following the path that the Enel Group has started ten years ago. Sweden completed the installation of electronic meters in 2009, while Denmark, Finland and Malta have achieved good results and programmes are ongoing in the Netherlands and in Ireland.
France is studying whether to oblige all power companies to install electronic meters for their customers by 2016. On the other hand, the United Kingdom aims at completing the installation by 2019.
The European Commission has made plans for all EU countries to replace at least 80% of their old electrical-mechanic meters with the new digital meters by 2020.
