Remotely read water meters to be installed in building

Remotely read water meters for both warm and cold water will be installed in each apartment in new buildings with multiple apartments and water bills will be based on actual measured consumption.

The government proposed that related legislative amendments will be submitted to the president for approval on Friday, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in a press release on Thursday.

After the entry into force of the legislation on 23 November, the requirements will apply to new buildings for which a building permit is applied.

Existing housing companies will switch to billing based on actual consumption gradually, with the installation of remotely read water meters in connection with the water and sewage system renovations.

The reform will encourage people to save energy by adopting more energy-efficient household water and heating energy consumption patterns. The reform will also involve a billing system based on actual consumption, and ensuring access to information on energy consumption.

Currently, a significant proportion of housing companies still base their water bills on other metrics, such as the number of residents in an apartment, or water unit cost per square metre. Tenants are often charged a fixed amount for water consumption.

District heating and cooling supplied to new buildings are to be measured with remotely read meters. Any district heating and cooling meters already installed must be upgraded to or replaced by remotely read meters by 31 December 2026.