Croatia’s nationwide program to replace traditional electricity meters with smart devices is advancing quickly. State-owned utility HEP has installed more than one million smart meters out of 2.6 million, with full completion expected by 2029. The project is co-financed through the European National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which allocated 224,000 euros for the initiative.
So far, over 900,000 meters have been installed in households and 220,000 in businesses. According to HEP ODS’s Danijela Zaja, around 40,000 meters are being replaced each month, making it a logistically complex operation.
The upgrade offers multiple benefits, including accurate monthly billing based on real consumption, greater transparency for households, and compatibility with home automation systems to optimize energy use.
Smart meters also enhance security by reducing fraud. Any tampering attempt, such as opening the device or using magnets, triggers an automatic alert to HEP’s monitoring center, ensuring consumption is correctly recorded.
