Precisely calculated: Wallbox with electricity meter - what variants are there?

Charging at home with the wallbox is convenient and easy. But in some circumstances, a classic model is not enough. When should you use a wallbox with an electricity meter, and what is this device all about? Read on for all the details.

Electricity meters for wallboxes: When is it worth it?

A wallbox with an integrated electricity meter is not the rule. However, there are a few scenarios in which a wallbox with an electricity meter makes sense or is even mandatory.

1. The wallbox is divided

Wallbox sharing is a good idea in and of itself, because it saves costs and still benefits from the convenient option of charging the e-car at home. If you share the wallbox with your neighbours, it makes sense if an electricity meter is integrated. This means that there are no disputes when it comes to billing. RFID access protection makes it possible to assign consumption to the charging processes and thus also to the users.

2. You are a landlord

This is still rather rare, but if you are a landlord who installs a wallbox and wants to grant access to all parties from the apartment building, it is a good idea to also use a wallbox with an electricity meter. Otherwise, it will be difficult to bill electricity consumption correctly.

3. Wallboxes at employers, hotels, etc.

So-called (semi-)public charging stations, which are often found in the parking lots of hotels or one's own employer, must also be equipped with an electricity meter. In this case, it is even mandatory that the wallbox must have a meter.

4. Wallbox with meter for company cars

A must is also mandatory when billing the electricity for the company car with the employer. If you charge the company car at home, you can only bill these costs if an electricity meter is installed. Alternatively, it is also possible to select a flat rate, for e-cars this has been 70 euros per month since 2021.

If you want cheap car electricity, then take a look at the tariffs of our car electricity partners.

 

Wallbox with electricity meter: What meters are there?

Depending on the purpose of the wallbox, the choice should fall on a technically sufficient device. Before buying, think carefully about whether it really needs to be a wallbox with a certified meter, because these devices are much more expensive. In any case, it is important to ensure good weather protection for the wallbox.

Simple electricity meter

A wallbox with a very simple meter, for example via an app, is completely sufficient if you want to have an overview of consumption privately. Even if a company provides its employees with a charging option for their private car as a benefit, which is free of charge, there are no requirements for the electricity meter.

An electricity meter without certification is therefore intended for you as pure information, when it comes to billing something, certification is always necessary.

MID Counter

A MID certified meter meets the measuring device directives of the European Parliament. This means that new meters do not necessarily have to be calibrated, but MID certification can also be sufficient to go on sale. For example, if you want to bill the exact kilowatt hours to neighbors because you share a wallbox, then a device with a MID meter is perfectly fine.

A wallbox with MID meter is also sufficient if you as an employee charge your company car at home and want to settle the costs with your employer. This means that these types of meters are sufficient in the private sector, or in terms of work in the internal relationship.

By the way: Mobile wallboxes are also available with electricity meters.

Electricity meter compliant with calibration law

If it is a matter of billing external third parties, the wallbox must be equipped with an electricity meter that complies with calibration law. This is mainly about public or semi-public charging stations. The calibration law is intended to ensure that billing by the device works reliably and reliably. To ensure that the charging process complies with calibration law, the following criteriaare necessary:

• Billing must be accurate to the kilowatt hour.
• Ensuring that data cannot be manipulated.
• Permanent storage of allcurrent measurement data for each charging process.
• Billing must be able to be checked at any time.

For example, if you own a hotel and provide your guests with a wallbox for a fee, it must be equipped with a meter that complies with calibration law. If you as an employer offer your employees a wallbox, but it is subject to a fee, the MID meter is no longer sufficient. Here, too, the version that complies with calibration law is necessary. Free charging facilities are not included here.

 

Which wallboxes with electricity meters are there?

Depending on whether it is a wallbox with an uncertified electricity meter, or one with a meter that complies with calibration law, the price naturally varies greatly. We have put together two to three examples for each category for you:

Wallboxes with uncalibrated electricity meter:

• Webasto Next Wallbox – price approx. 700 euros
• go-e Charger Homefix – Price approx. 600 euros
• Innogy eBox smart – approx. 1,000 euros

Wallboxes with MID-compliant electricity meters:

• Siemens VersiCharge – Price approx. 1,500 euros
• EVBo Elvi MID WLAN – Price approx. 1,100 euros
• ABB Terra – Price approx. 1,100 euros

Wallboxes with electricity meters that comply with calibration law:

• ABL eMH3 EW2254 Wallbox – Price approx. 4,100 euros
• Alfen Eve Double Pro-line DE 904461101-1639 Wallbox – Price approx. 4,700 euros

 

Advantages and disadvantages of wallboxes with meters

The advantage of wallboxes with electricity meters is obvious: you are able to measure consumption. Now it's up to you to find out whether you only want to check your own consumption, or whether a very precise billing per kW is necessary because you want to claim costs from third parties.

Wallboxes that have integrated electricity meters that comply with calibration law are very expensive. Therefore, the purchase should be well considered. An uncalibrated wallbox costs only a fraction and also does what a wallbox should do: charge an electric car.