Smart meters are a key enabler of the digitalisation of Europe’s electricity distribution grids, supporting more efficient network operations, consumer participation, and new energy services as part of a wider digital energy ecosystem.
This E.DSO paper, developed by the Cybersecurity and Smart-Metering Task Forces under the Technology & Knowledge Sharing Committee, examines cybersecurity and data-protection challenges linked to smart metering systems and provides recommendations for DSOs, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
With nearly 285 million smart meters expected in Europe by 2029, ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of metering data is increasingly critical. While smart meters support essential processes such as billing, grid management, and demand response, their connectivity also introduces cybersecurity risks across the full system lifecycle.
The paper highlights that cybersecurity must be addressed across the entire smart metering lifecycle. It presents the ENCS-E.DSO security specifications for smart meters and data concentrators, explores different security architectures, and illustrates practical implementation through case studies from Netz Niederösterreich (Austria) and Enedis (France).
It also highlights key EU regulatory developments, including the Cyber Resilience Act, the Network Code on Cybersecurity, and the Data Governance Act, and underlines the need for robust, future-proof security approaches to support the safe digitalisation of Europe’s energy systems.
