On January 1, 2026, the mandatory replacement of unsuitable energy meters with new digital or smart meters began. This mandatory energy meter replacement is a result of the new Energy Act that came into effect on January 1, 2026. Network operators Enexis, Liander, Stedin, Coteq, Rendo, and Westland Infra carry out this replacement operation within their own service areas on behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Sustainable Growth. The RDI is responsible for supervision and enforcement.
New Energy Act and energy meter replacement
The Energy Act came into force on January 1, 2026. This law replaced the Gas Act and the Electricity Act of 1998. The new Energy Act brings several changes. Households must replace unsuitable energy meters, such as the old analog or dial meter and the digital one-way meter, with new suitable meters. These new meters can separately register the consumption and delivery of self-generated electricity. Over the coming years, all unsuitable energy meters will be replaced by suitable digital or smart meters. The difference between a digital meter and a smart meter is that a smart meter can automatically transmit meter readings to an energy supplier. A regular digital meter cannot do this.
Roles of involved parties
In the past ten years, the involved network operators have already replaced nearly 95% of the total number of energy meters. In the next two years, the last approximately 550,000 outdated meters will be replaced. Replacing unsuitable meters is mandatory. The network operators will inform their customers about this starting early January. Data of households that do not respond or refuse the offer from the network operator will eventually be transferred to the RDI as supervisor. The RDI chooses an approach where residents are first reminded and assisted before encouraging measures are taken, with a penalty under a coercive order only used as a last resort.