By the end of 2024, more than 343,000 smart meters will have been installed in Luxembourg
Anthony Indraus, Unsplash
Minister of Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism Lex Delles and Minister of Consumer Protection Martine Hansen responded to a parliamentary enquiry by Marc Goergen on the progress of the smart meter rollout in Luxembourg.
As of 31 December 2024, 343,701 smart electricity meters and 91,559 gas meters have been installed in the country. The main phase of their implementation took place between 2017 and 2020, during which period costs totalled €53.2 million for electricity meters and €20.9 million for gas meters, totalling more than €74 million.
Despite the technical advantages, the switch to smart meters has generated complaints. Since 2017, Creos, the largest network operator, has registered 2,002 complaints. They were highest in 2021 (657 complaints), then the number gradually decreased (208 complaints in 2024). Other operators also recorded appeals, but in small numbers.
Complaints were mainly related to the electricity bill, technical faults and general questions about the operation of the system. However, the exact categorisation of complaints was not published.
Interestingly, the Directorate of Consumer Protection has not received any official complaints about smart meters. However, the Union of Consumers of Luxembourg (ULC) received 24 enquiries between 2018 and 2020 regarding the right to refuse to install meters and possible health impacts. Since 2021, the number of such enquiries has fallen sharply.
The Government notes that most complaints have been resolved through clarification of information and, in general, the transition is proceeding without significant problems.
