On July 1, 2020, the company started implementing Law 552-FZ, which governs the development of smart energy metering systems, and initiated deployment of smart meters. Pavel Livinskiy, Director General of Rosseti, reported this at a meeting chaired by Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, held at Shokin Research and Production Enterprise Istok at the science town Fryazino near Moscow.

A smart metering system is a key element in digital transformation of the electric power industry. The Rosseti Group of Companies has been preparing for eventual enactment of Law FZ-522 since 2018:
- at present, 15% of commercial metering points are already equipped with smart meters (about 2.7 million devices);
- as part of the partnership between Rosseti and RosteñState Corporation, production lines have been set up and upgraded (including those at Istok), ready to meet the grid company’s ever growing demand for smart meters.

Rosseti plans to deploy 18.1 million smart meters by the end of 2030.

Consumers will be the first to feel the benefit of smart metering. They will get an opportunity to promptly obtain accurate information on electricity consumption and manage its volume and cost. The quality of services and reliability of electricity supply will also improve.

Energy companies will benefit too since it means decreased losses for them and lower operating costs, while payment discipline and labor productivity are expected to improve.

This year marked a soft start for Law No. 522-FZ.

The law is intended to address a social problem: consumers are no longer required to buy meters and pay for installation. From July 1, this is the responsibility of grid companies and guaranteed suppliers.

Metering systems will be required to include smart meters only starting from January 1, 2022. However, Rosseti already started this process.