Greek distribution system operator DEDDIE is accelerating a national smart-meter programme aimed at replacing conventional meters across approximately 7.7 million connections by the end of 2030. The operator plans to install 1 million smart electricity meters during 2026. During the first part of the year, around 330,000 new meters were installed.
2026 installation pace and expected meter numbers
Installation teams are completing approximately 4,400 meters a day. DEDDIE plans to raise deployment to around 5,900 units daily during the coming months. If the current pace is maintained, operational smart meters would reach approximately 2.4 million by year-end 2026.
The planned acceleration is intended to create a delivery buffer for regional access constraints and installation failures. It also accounts for more complex meter replacement in multi-unit buildings and remote areas. This adjustment is linked to how quickly devices can be deployed across different network locations.
Remote metering integration and central monitoring
The hardware rollout is only one component of the programme. DEDDIE is expanding its remote-metering infrastructure and connecting newly installed devices to a central monitoring platform . Approximately 1.4 million first-generation smart meters must be integrated into the same environment to form a unified national metering system.
Smart meters are expected to provide more granular visibility over consumption, outages and low-voltage network conditions. They can also support remote connection services, faster supplier switching and loss detection. The devices are designed to enable more accurate settlement of electricity consumed during individual hourly or sub-hourly periods.
Implications for suppliers, customers, and data requirements
For electricity suppliers, digital metering provides the technical basis for time-of-use and dynamic-price products. For consumers with rooftop solar, batteries, heat pumps or electric vehicles, it enables measurement of consumption and production with sufficient frequency to support flexible operation.
The programme includes data-management and cybersecurity requirements. DEDDIE will need to maintain interoperability between different meter generations and protect personal consumption information. It also must ensure that the central platform remains available during market and network events.
Communication performance as the key success metric
The initiative’s performance will be assessed based on the share of meters that reliably communicate with the central platform rather than on physical installation numbers . A connected but non-reporting meter provides limited operational value and can lead to settlement disputes.
With 2.4 million meters expected by year-end, Greece will still have more than 5 million connections remaining to convert before the 2030 deadline. The current acceleration marks the start of the programme’s industrial deployment phase rather than its completion.
