Grid operators fear loss of millions due to early replacement of smart meters
Energy grid operators Liander and Stedin fear a loss of millions of euros because they have to replace millions of smart meters early. The meters operate on their own frequency. The administrators are in danger of losing it sooner than they initially thought.
Liander and Stedin tell Het Financieele Dagblad that they will not appeal against a court decision from February regarding smart meters. Liander and Stedin use the 450MHz frequency to read the smart meters remotely. The permit will run until 2024, after which it will be auctioned. If the grid operators lose that auction, they have to replace their meters faster. This results in a cost of more than a billion euros.
The two grid operators have installed more than five million smart meters together. The companies want to write it off over a period of several years, but the frequency auction may throw a spanner in the works. In 2018, Liander and Stedin’s license was extended, allowing them to use the 450MHz frequency until 2024.
Other parties are now also interested in the 450MHz frequency. This could be used for data traffic from rail and water companies. The judge therefore decided in February that the network operators cannot claim infinite access to the 450MHz band. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, which issues the frequency licences, has therefore decided to start an auction. Grid operators are allowed to participate in this, but if they lose them, they will probably have to install new smart meters or come up with other solutions. An alternative solution is currently being sought, but it is not yet in sight. The network operators say that they cannot simply switch to another frequency. Some network operators, such as Enexis, use the 4G network.
The network operators will therefore not appeal against the judge’s decision. They are counting on support from the ministry. Before the verdict, that would have already promised to take ‘further measures’ so that the smart meters can be saved. However, it is not clear what kind of facilities these are and to what extent the grid operators still have to pay for them.