EBRD, EU and WBIF support nationwide rollout of smart electricity meters in Serbia

• More than 900,000 customers now connected to smart electricity meters across Serbia
• EU grants, EBRD financing and investment by electricity distribution company EDS are supporting modernisation of Serbia’s grid
• Smart meters improve billing accuracy, network efficiency and support Serbia’s energy transition

More than 900,000 customers connected to Serbia’s electricity distribution network now have smart meters, following investments by electricity distribution company Elektrodistribucija Srbije (EDS) supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) through the Western Balkans Investment Forum (WBIF).

A joint EU and EBRD delegation – led by Andreas von Beckerath, the EU’s Ambassador to Serbia, and Francesco Corbo, the EBRD’s Regional Head of Energy for the Western Balkans and Croatia – visited Niš, one of Serbia’s leading cities for smart meter coverage, to see how the rollout is benefiting households and helping modernise Serbia’s electricity distribution network.

Smart meters improve service quality for customers, increase transparency and accuracy in billing, and provide the data needed for better grid management, strengthening system reliability and supporting Serbia’s wider energy transition.

The large-scale replacement of meters was initially supported by EU grants worth €110 million. The rollout continued with the support of an EBRD loan, and preparations are under way to replace an additional 400,000 meters with financing from the European Investment Bank.

During the visit to Niš, EU and EBRD representatives toured the EDS calibration laboratory, where meter accuracy is tested and verified, and visited a residential building where 140 smart meters have been installed.

“For Serbian citizens, the benefits are simple and practical: more accurate bills, easier access to information on consumption, and better control over household energy costs,” said von Beckerath. “This matters because Serbia’s energy system is entering a new phase. Rooftop solar panels, heat pumps, electric vehicles and local energy communities will increasingly change the way electricity is produced, measured and consumed.”

The EBRD’s Corbo added: “Modernising electricity distribution networks is key to Serbia’s transition to a more efficient, resilient and low-carbon energy system. By supporting EDS’s rollout of smart meters, we are strengthening network reliability and efficiency while enabling greater integration of renewable energy and more active participation by consumers.”

Biljana Komnenić, Acting Director of EDS, said: “We are actively working on digitalisation and introducing the most modern technologies into the electricity distribution system. This project brings savings and benefits to both users and the company. So far, around €200 million has been invested in the installation of smart meters in Serbia, and almost every fourth meter is now read remotely. Our strategic decision is that every new connection should have a smart meter. For EDS, this enables a better overview of the network and improved management, while users can monitor their own consumption and become more energy efficient. This autumn, a portal will be launched to give all smart meter users continuous insight into their consumption.”