A smart meter is a digital, internet-enabled electricity meter that measures a household's electricity consumption every 15 minutes. The device stores the data for approximately 60 calendar days. Using its communication function, the smart meter can transmit data such as electricity consumption to the grid operator. The Metering Point Operation Act of 2016 is gradually making smart meters mandatory, starting with the largest consumers. Electricity customers with a consumption of 6,000 to 10,000 kWh will be converted between 2020 and 2027, and from 2032 onward, smart meters will be mandatory for all metering points.
Zählerfreunde wants to make it easier for consumers with its platform enable consumers to derive sustainable added value from their new electricity meters. A free consumption visualization and intelligent algorithms are designed to help consumers better understand their own usage behavior and thereby reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Additional features, such as the option to automatically switch tariffs to green electricity providers or personalized tips for reducing consumption, are designed to provide additional added value.
Zählerfreunde only recently on the market
Goal of the Munich startup The aim is to create a data-driven ecosystem for the entire energy industry. Partnerships should enable all services and products on the platform to be offered in a personalized manner while simultaneously integrating them technically. This would not only make various services more efficient, but also allow them to be visualized and managed directly via the platform.
Tobias Keussen, CEO and co-founder of Zählerfreunde, explains:
"Consumers are currently paying record amounts for their electricity. They actually want to save money and become more sustainable, but often don't know how. With our offering, we offer a simple way to monitor and sustainably optimize their own consumption. Our platform has only recently been launched on the market, and we already have several hundred users. There is therefore considerable interest from businesses and private consumers."
The now completed pre-seed financing is intended to help the startup further expand its team. The money comes from, among others, the venture builder Enpulse, a wholly owned subsidiary of EnBW, focuses on startups in the energy transition and sustainable infrastructure sectors. Other investors include the impact investor Capacura and business angel Erich Wex. The amount of the financing round was not disclosed.
