Croatian Power Industry over the next month will announce a competition for the suppliers of first advanced meters that are the first step towards such a smart energy network, the so-called smart grid. HEP says that this is about 6,000 advanced meters as part of a pilot project for which the cost must be approved by HERA, while experimentally consumers in several major cities in Croatia should get them over the next few months.
According to which criteria, it is not known, except that it will all cost HEP approximately 1.3 MEUR and allow it to measure the monthly energy consumption of households and issue monthly bills based on actual consumption, rather than semi-annual or annual estimates. Within the EU, smart electric meters cost between 170 to 220 euros, and massive installation occurred only in Italy and Sweden. The obligation of the EU, and thus Republic of Croatia is advanced meters by 2018 to cover 80% of the current network, about 1.6 million households, which could cost around 320 MEUR.
Consumers will get more detailed information about their own consumption, which allows them to better plan and save energy, and it is possible the development of new tariff models, says HEP board member Ivan Matasic. He points out that the cost of new meters will not spill over to consumers, but through so-called grid charge paid by any of the existing meter.
Source; Serbia Energy See Desk
