How do we measure electricity consumption and what services we offer?

1. What is a meter?

A meter is a device that measures the quantity of electricity transited (extracted from or delivered into the network), associated to consumption or production place. Alongside the metering transformers, with interim elements that make up the metering circuits and the security elements, they make up a power metering group.

Depending on the constructive model and on the operating principle, meters can be induction or electronic meters. The former are the ones including dials and a mechanic displays, metering a single type of power. The electronic ones are more recent, they have an electronic display and allow for the registration of several indexes or power sizes, for rates that are or are not differentiated per time zones. A modern type of electronic meter is the smart meter.

2. What is a smart meter?

Smart meters are the future! They are smart due to the technology that is able to communicate, under secure conditions, the data collected directly by us, without requiring any index readings at home, with the benefit of a higher consumption control. The communicated data comprise the electricity consumption, the load curve and other values of the electricity parameters, through the PLC (power-line communication) communication system, using a data concentrator connected to the substation, which then sends them back to the central system.

Some of our customers have already installed these meters, while the others will benefit from them in the future, according to the installation plans approved by ANRE. Find out more about smart meters.

3. When is the meter reading performed?

As a network operator, we perform regularization readings every 6 months for residential customers and monthly for business customers, through representatives or through the remote reading system (for smart meters).

We might also read your meters following the complaints we may receive (but only under specific circumstances) and upon request (see the rate below).

4. How do you find out what your consumption data are - load curve and history of readings?

All you have to do is log onto your account and access the online service “consumption data”. It’s as easy as that. This service has two sub-categories - load curve and history of readings.

The load curve is only accessible to the customers holding an electrical meter able to record hourly consumptions and integrated in a remote reading system. This online service offers data on your electricity consumption, spread over time - you will find a table comprising this information in your account. This offers a better understanding as to how and when you consume and allows you to make decisions for a more responsible consumption that better suits your plans.

The readings history (the consumption history based on the readings) may be viewed under the form of a table comprising the read indexes saved in our system.

5. When is the metering group checked?

Firstly, we perform periodical checks (including readings) according to our companies’ internal decision, depending on the power approved in the technical connection approval:

• At least once a year, for customers with an approved power exceeding 1MW (exclusive of the low voltage ones - LV)
• At least every 3 years for users with an approved power ranging between 100 kW and 1 MW, for those above 1MW in the case of LV and for those below 100 kW for medium voltage
• At least every 4 years for users with an approved power ranging between 30 kW and 100 MW, connected to LV

We might check meters that are suspected of failures, pursuant to your complaints (submitted directly or through your electricity supplier). Indicates the meter series, the type of fault, as well as the contact telephone number – see our customer support centers.

The possible failures include the blank display, the registration of an exaggerated consumption or the meter blocking. When we come to check the meter, you may request that it be checked by a metrology laboratory attested by The Romanian Bureau of Legal Metrology, in which case we will replace the meter and then send the result of the verification to you, through the supplier.

We may perform checks in case we suspect a fraudulent consumption – anyone may contribute to putting an end to such fraud through the Stop Fraud Platform. In the case of unauthorized interventions on the supply equipment, we will describe our findings in an information note. According to the Decision of ANRE no. 39851/26.06.2014, in the case of consumption places suspected of fraudulent consumption, the power will be supplied up to the passing of a court order.

We also perform checks upon other occasions: in the case of remote reading system faults on meters equipped with this function, in case the colleagues performing on-site readings find that the equipment is faulty/unsealed/affected by an unauthorized intervention, in the case of large business consumers requiring verifications prior to commissioning or pursuant to the non-compliances noted in the analysis of consumption parameters.

Whenever we identify a meter fault, we recalculate your energy consumption for the period when the device was not operational, according to the provisions in the ANRE Order no. 121/2015.

6. When is the periodical electricity meter replacement performed?

The meter is periodically replaced every 10 years, free of charge, according to the regulations in force (the official list of the metering means mandatorily subjected to the metrological state control L.O. - 2001 of 27.08.2001)

7. Under what circumstances can the electricity meter seal be removed or reapplied?

Some refurbishments (replacement of the fuse board, of the indoor cables, etc.) might need interventions on the electrical panel. In this case, you need to send us a meter unsealing/resealing request, directly to us or through your electricity supplier, and you need to pay the relevant fee (see below).

8. When can the meter be relocated?

The meter may be relocated upon your request, which means that the connection process will be reinitiated. The meter relocation involves the modification of the power equipment and that is why you need to submit a request for the issue of a new TAC – tick on your request “modification of technical elements without exceeding the approved power”, and then you will pay the issue fee, you will conclude the connection contract and you will go through the connection process steps. See here the TAC application template.

9. What are the electricity metering rates? What about other services?

The rates for the reading of the meter under various conditions, disconnection/reconnection to the power network, mounting/dismantling and verifications of the meters and other services are available in the pdf file corresponding to each specific company, available below.

Apart from the rates for these services, there also are the ones set by ANRE for the electricity distribution service. We’ve told you about the connection fees in the dedicated section.

The regulated rates for the distribution service, set by ANRE for Rețele Electrice Banat, valid starting January 1st 2024 are available in the second column. The applied rate, which you can see on your invoice, is calculated depending on the location of the delimitation point (if MV, the HV rate shall be added, if LV, the MV and the HV rate shall be added – because the energy reaches you using the upstream networks.)

The regulated rates for the distribution service, set by ANRE for Rețele Electrice Dobrogea, valid starting January 1st 2024 are available in the second column. The applied rate, which you can see on your invoice, is calculated depending on the location of the delimitation point (if MV, the HV rate shall be added, if LV, the MV and the HV rate shall be added – because the energy reaches you using the upstream networks.)

The regulated rates for the distribution service, set by ANRE for Rețele Electrice Muntenia, valid starting July January 1st 2024 are available in the second column. The applied rate, which you can see on your invoice, is calculated depending on the location of the delimitation point (if MV, the HV rate shall be added, if LV, the MV and the HV rate shall be added – because the energy reaches you using the upstream networks.)