January 16, 2026

by AEA in News

Self-consumption photovoltaic systems in Greece must add remote control devices

Solar power facilities for self-consumption in Greece now require set point equipment.

The Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) announced that owners of self-consumption installations of over 400 kW have eight months, until September 15, to make necessary upgrades. Set point equipment includes specialized telemetering devices that the network operator uses for remote control and curtailment of solar power production.

Such equipment was first added in 2024 in other categories of photovoltaics, to ensure that HEDNO can dial down production at times when renewable energy production exceeds demand in the country. The effort is aimed at ensuring system stability and avoiding blackouts such as the one that happened in Spain last April.

According to Energypress, so far 4,300 MW of renewables units connected to the distribution network have added set-point equipment, out of a total of 5,500 MW deemed necessary. The authorities are aiming for the majority of the capacity to be ready by spring to avoid overcapacity. It’s a season that traditionally brings high renewable energy production and low demand in Greece. In 2024 and 2025, very low wholesale prices and high curtailments became a regular occurrence in the springtime.

As for the transmission network, all required renewable electricity plants have made the necessary upgrades.

Producers must comply or be disconnected

HEDNO said the new requirement includes units both in the net metering and virtual net metering regimes, as well as the ones with and without storage.

Once proper upgrades have taken place, producers must submit a notification form to the distribution operator, along with necessary technical documents. Owners who do not comply in time, will be subject to disconnection from the grid, HEDNO said.

Its goal is to make horizontal curtailments from now on, only reducing production levels across photovoltaics, without having to shut down some of them entirely.

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January 16, 2026

by AEA in News

Self-consumption photovoltaic systems in Greece must add remote control devices

Solar power facilities for self-consumption in Grece now require set point equipment.

As for the transmission network, all required renewable electricity plants have made the necessary upgrades.

Producers must comply or be disconnected

HEDNO said the new requirement includes units both in the net metering and virtual net metering regimes, as well as the ones with and without storage.

Its goal is to make horizontal curtailments from now on, only reducing production levels across photovoltaics, without having to shut down some of them entirely.

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December 19, 2025

by AEA in News

Greek distribution operator slammed for wrongful power theft accusations

The Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) has drawn severe criticism because of imposing fines for power theft in cases where no such wrongdoing took place.

Last year, HEDNO was asked by the government to step up its efforts to fight power theft, a major issue in the Greek market. In recent years, the phenomenon has worsened and is estimated to cost law-abiding consumers EUR 400 million per year. In 2022, 18% of the supplied energy was lost as a result of power theft or network losses in distribution. The number has remained high ever since.

However, the distribution system operator’s overzealous crews went over the top, fining consumers with thousands of euros, with little or no justification. In fact, there were cases where a drop in consumption as a result of irrelevant factors was considered power theft.

Households and businesses were obliged to pay, otherwise their supply would be cut off. Consequently, they must go to court to claim back the money, leading to a lengthy and costly process.

HEDNO fined by the regulator

The Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW or RAAEY) has stepped in to fix the problem. Ruling on a specific consumer’s complaint against HEDNO, it determined that the operator acted illegally and against provisions set by the Metering Code.

In fact, RAAEY accused HEDNO of enforcing power theft rules that it wanted added in the code, but which the regulator has not accepted. Based on the ruling, HEDNO was fined EUR 120,000.

It remains to be seen whether RAAEY will impose more fines, as the receiver of many such complaints. The body said it is not responsible for solving disputes between the operator and consumers. However, through the recent ruling it set a proper regulatory framework going forward.

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December 10, 2025

by AEA in News

Tens of thousands of new smart meters in Greece deemed inadequate

The rollout of smart meters in Greece has been plagued by delays and even technical mistakes in their procurement, affecting up to 250,000 measuring points.

The country is close to last in the European Union when it comes to the penetration of smart meters. In 2024, only 11% of consumers had such systems, versus 58% in Europe as a whole.

The Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) began a gradual large-scale deployment a few years ago, with the goal of closing the gap. So far, 1.3 million smart meters have been installed in homes and businesses. The budget stands at EUR 1.4 billion up to the year 2030.

However, there appears to be a significant problem with the first meters that were procured and deployed in previous years. A few days ago, HEDNO published its proposal for the technical changes needed in the retail market codes, in order to activate dynamic pricing schemes from February 2026.

Utilizing smart metering, consumers will be able to benefit from lower prices during the day. Wholesale prices often reach zero around noon in Greece, as a result of high solar production.

Based on the document, the first batches of smart meters are not able to process real-time data and transmit them properly to HEDNO and the suppliers. It makes dynamic pricing impossible.

In total, up to 250,000 smart meters already installed and operational could be inadequate. A part of them can be adjusted through additional hardware, while for the rest no viable solution is seen except their replacement.

Complaints about wrongful power theft accusations

HEDNO also became the target of consumer complaints recently, regarding the lack of timely and proper power metering. Last year the metering period was reduced to a monthly interval. However, people complain of the operator not doing its job right, resulting in unfair charges.

Furthermore, HEDNO has been blamed of wrongly accusing consumers of power theft. Many such complaints have been filed, with claims that the operator is “trigger-happy” and that it identifies theft in cases where a simple change of consumption was located or a seal was damaged on the outside of a meter.

The Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW or RAAEY) has promised to take action to rectify the issues and restore balance and transparency in the market.

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August 28, 2025

by AEA in News

Smart meters, wildfires, rising demand push Greek distribution grid investment plan to EUR 4.8 billion

In recent years, Greece has been experiencing extreme weather events, such as wildfires and floods, which have threatened its electricity distribution network.

Due to this new reality, caused by climate change, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) has increased its five-year development plan for 2026-2030 to EUR 4.79 billion, around 60% up compared to EUR 3 billion allocated for 2024-2028.

The plan for the 2022-2026 period was EUR 2.2 billion.

The goal is for HEDNO to reinforce the grid against these threats and ensure its pylons do not cause wildfires as easily. Moreover, Greece has been lagging behind the European Union when it comes to smart meter penetration, and it must make fast progress in the coming years.

HEDNO has included a total of 204 projects in the new five-year plan

There is also an increased need for new user connections as a result of rising demand and the ever-present need for connecting new renewable energy plants.

To achieve these goals, HEDNO has included a total of 204 projects in the new five-year plan. Smart meters will cost EUR 1.4 billion, compared to EUR 784 million in the previous plan, so as to address the problem of power theft, which has increased in recent years, and to enable dynamic pricing in the retail market.

More specifically, EUR 195 million will be invested in 2026, followed by EUR 260-270 million in the following three years and EUR 357 million in 2030.

New user connections will cost EUR 800 million

The network reinforcement will cost EUR 991 million (EUR 608 million previously), while EUR 650 million will be spent on replacing existing lines (up from EUR 619 million). This includes projects such as underground power lines and underwater connections, as well as a focus on the protection of forests.

New user connections will cost EUR 800 million to cover the projected demand from industry, ports, data centers, and other consumers. HEDNO’s plan also includes EUR 223 million for the grid control and management.

The operator said that contracting and equipment costs have risen in recent years, affecting the size of the new five-year plan.

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August 27, 2025

by AEA in News

Greece raises fines for power theft

Power theft has become a major issue for the Greek electricity market in recent years. The government has been increasing fines for offenders.

The combined damage from power theft and network losses in distribution amounted to EUR 100 million per month in 2022, with 18% of the supplied energy being lost as a result of power theft or network losses in distribution.

It compared to an average loss of 8% in the European Union, meaning that lawful Greek consumers took a heavy burden through their bills.

Suppliers: HEDNO must shoulder power theft cost

For 2025, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) estimates that losses will reach 11.08%. However, actual ones are believed to be much higher, as the initial numbers for previous years had to be revised retroactively.

Electricity suppliers have warned of severe consequences for the entire market if the problem is not solved. The Hellenic Association of Energy Suppliers (ESPEN) has asked for HEDNO to shoulder the initial cost of power theft, instead of them, to be motivated to reduce it.

Smart meters and fines to provide solution

In order to address power theft, the Ministry of Environment and Energy lifted fines a few months ago. Instead of 70%, offenders pay 100% more than the reference price for their category. The baseline is an average of the previous six months. Vulnerable consumers are fined 50% more than the reference price.

Based on the last update by the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW or RAAEY), an offender with a household connection will pay 49.45 eurocents per kilowatt-hour, up from 47.22 eurocents, while the tariff for businesses is 56.42 eurocents. It rose from 54.21 eurocents per kilowatt-hour.

The levels are revised every six months, taking into account the total cost of supply for each category, including taxes and network charges.

The ministry also counts on smart meters, since they significantly reduce opportunities for power theft. Greece has lagged behind all other European countries in smart meters. HEDNO finally began mass installation this year, expected to reach one million devices annually from 2026 onwards.

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July 30, 2025

by AEA in News

Over 20,000 prosumer units connected in Greece in last 18 months

Greece’s distribution system operator HEDNO added more than 20,000 prosumers in the past year and a half, although the new net billing program faces delays.

Last year the government in Athens formally ended the net metering scheme and enacted net billing, aligning with the European Union’s regulations. Any aspiring prosumer with an existing application can switch to the new mechanism for free. The connection charge is EUR 370 per unit.

In the net billing mechanism, the compensation for the prosumer for the electricity delivered to the grid is based on the hourly wholesale price of electricity, instead of a fixed tariff. Projects are limited to a maximum 10.8 kW for households and 100 kW for businesses and energy communities. Virtual billing is also allowed, meaning that production and consumption can be in different locations.

Total capacity almost at 1 GW

According to data from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE), more than 20,000 individual prosumer units have been connected to the grid over the last 18 months, with the majority being connected under net metering.

It brought the overall number of prosumer installations to 35,312, with a total capacity of 995 MW, according to the update.

HEDNO also said 705 applications were in the final stages of the licensing process.

Limited interest from suppliers and aggregators

Despite high interest, progress in adding units within the net billing scheme has been slow. Only two electricity suppliers currently provide such contracts to prosumers and just one of them includes businesses, Energypress reported.

There is limited interest among aggregators to represent corporate net billing installations in the market. As for household units, the Renewable Energy Sources Operator and Guarantees of Origin (DAPEEP) provides the service free of charge.

Market participants are urging improvements in the relevant ministerial decree on net billing, for things to move forward. One of them would be to simplify contracts.

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May 20, 2025

by AEA in News

Alarming rise in unpaid bills from electricity consumers in Greece

A steep rise in arrears was recorded last year in the Greek electricity supply market.

According to the latest report from the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY or RAEWW), total debt for electricity rose by EUR 1 billion to EUR 3.4 billion in 2024.

It occurred despite a 10% reduction in retail electricity prices last year in the country.

Out of the total sum, existing customers owe EUR 1.74 billion to their suppliers. Another EUR 1.65 billion is debt by customers that have switched suppliers, leaving unpaid bills behind.

As for the EUR 1 billion of new debt, consumers in the mid-voltage account for EUR 400 million. They are large businesses and small industries. Another EUR 440 million is owed by various water utilities.

In December 2024, the Ministry of Environment and Energy passed a regulation subsidizing water utilities for EUR 200 million of their total debt. It means actual arrears in the segment were smaller, at EUR 240 million, but still sizeable.

Measures to reduce power theft

On top of increasing debt, the Greek market is also faced with a rise in electricity theft. In recent years, the phenomenon has worsened and is estimated to cost law-abiding consumers EUR 400 million per year.

The government and the regulator recently enacted strict fines to reduce theft. Offenders pay more than 100% over the normal power price for stolen quantities. The gradual installation of smart meters starting this year is also expected to help.

Suppliers warn of consequences

Power utilities must handle all the said liabilities. The Greek Energy Suppliers Association (ESPEN) has said that the issues indirectly increase power prices, as companies need to balance their budget through additional hedging and careful positioning.

ESPEN: Suffocating pressure as a result of high arrears

“The accumulation of large arrears causes suffocating pressure to the supply sector, raising prices and leading to negative effects for consumers,” it said.

Furthermore, suppliers asked the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) to waste no time in disconnecting consumers who owe money, in line with guidelines from the network code.

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May 7, 2025

by AEA in News

Self-consumption capacity set to break 1 GW in Greece

Renewable energy projects for self-consumption are expected to reach 1 GW this year in Greece.

According to the Green Tank, at the end of March 2025, self-consumption capacity amounted to 937.6 MW, of which the overwhelming majority (871.9 MW) was in photovoltaics.

It should be noted that last year the government introduced a big change in the segment. The net metering regime was abandoned in favor of net billing, following European guidelines.

Insufficient capacity limit

There were 32,955 self-consumption units in the country at the end of the first quarter. Projects in operation plus remaining applications are estimated at 1,865 MW, which is near the 2 GW ceiling, set by law.

Energy communities, small companies, farmers and individuals have asked for the available capacity to be increased.

They also complain that the Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) is too slow with connecting them to the grid. The operator has mostly been integrating units in the category of up to 10.8 kW, while ignoring larger projects.

The Renewable Energy Sources Operator and Guarantees of Origin (DAPEEP) began accepting net billing applications for projects of over 10.8 kW only last month. It means it needs to accelerate connections to keep pace.

Renewable energy aggregators have warned that the regulatory framework is unclear when it comes to such projects and their representation in the market.

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April 30, 2025

by AEA in News

Greek farmers turn their backs on government program for photovoltaics

The Greek government’s Photovoltaics in Fields support program has failed to convince farmers so far.

As part of the self-consumption program, farmers are supported for various costs, such as the purchase and installation of panels, inverters, batteries, as well as necessary technical studies.

Applications are accepted for two different project groups, when it comes to connection priority. The first is for installations of up to 10.8 kW and another for projects of 10.8 kW to 50 kW.

Selected investments are eligible for a grant equivalent to 30% or up to EUR 350 per kW. The overall budget is EUR 30 million.

Only 143 photovoltaic systems connected so far

In the year since the program’s launch, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) received a total of 1,776 applications, of which 1,235 are still under evaluation. The first checks are complete in 794 cases while 377 projects are at the connection terms signing stage.

Only 209 applicants have signed them, while 143 photovoltaic systems have become operational across the country.

Operational restrictions weigh on incentives

The problem for farmers is that HEDNO has enforced operational restrictions in about one third of the accepted units. It means they don’t produce freely, but are subject to curtailments.

The government is mocking farmers

Therefore, profitability drops significantly for investors. It is notable that two out of every three farmers who originally applied didn’t continue the process.

Various agricultural collectives have reacted. Stock farmers of Elassona in Larissa spoke of “a mockery by public bodies, as they promised photovoltaics will solve high energy costs.”

The Ministry of Environment and Energy said it would extend the connection applications deadline by 160 days to include more investors. Furthermore, it would delay the required commencement date for the projects until the end of September.

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