ServiceInstallation & planning
You can have your meter cabinet renewed by Kara Elektrotechnik, your electrician in Neuss, when the existing meter position is no longer enough for new equipment or is outdated. We plan and install meter cabinets for new builds, convert existing ones and create space for smart meters, control units, solar PV, wallboxes and heat pumps in line with VDE-AR-N 4100.
The meter cabinet is where electricity from the grid passes into the building installation. It contains the meter panel with the electricity meter, the protection before and after the meter and often an area for additional devices such as the control unit for a wallbox or heat pump. In many houses the same cabinet also holds the distribution board with the circuit breakers for the individual circuits.
The meter itself is installed by the metering point operator; the cabinet it sits in belongs to the customer installation. The technical requirements for meter positions and meter cabinets are set by the application rule VDE-AR-N 4100, known as the TAR Niederspannung. According to the VDE, the edition VDE-AR-N 4100:2026-04 has applied since March 2026; its new items include the integration of controllable consumption devices.
A meter cabinet does not have to be renewed after a set number of years. The reason is usually a change to the house or a lack of space. The table shows typical cases:
| Reason | Why the meter cabinet is affected | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| New solar PV system | Additional or bidirectional meter, space for control | Free meter panels, space for additional devices |
| Wallbox or heat pump | Controllable consumption device, possibly its own meter | Protection, space for control, connection capacity |
| Smart meter installation | A smart metering system needs a suitable meter position | Condition and type of the existing meter position |
| Conversion, renovation, division into flats | More meters or a new distribution board | Space, supply cable, division of circuits |
| Very old meter position | Exposed terminals, old fuses, no space to extend | Protection against contact, fuses, expandability |
Whether converting the existing cabinet is enough or a new meter cabinet makes more sense depends on its type and the space available. We clarify this during an on-site assessment.
A smart metering system, commonly called a smart meter, is required by law for certain households. Under § 29 of the German Metering Point Operation Act (MsbG), the responsible metering point operator equips metering points with an annual electricity consumption of more than 6,000 kilowatt hours with smart metering systems. For consumers with an agreement under § 14a EnWG and operators of installations with more than 7 kilowatts of installed capacity, a control device is added as well. All other metering points are equipped at least with modern metering devices, that is, digital meters; this is to be completed by the end of 2032, and for new builds and major renovations on their completion.
For the meter cabinet this means that wherever an old electromechanical meter still hangs today, a digital meter will be installed sooner or later, and with solar PV, a wallbox or a heat pump there needs to be space for the control unit. We check beforehand whether your meter position is suitable.
New equipment is the most common reason to convert a meter cabinet. A solar PV system needs a meter that measures both consumption and feed-in and, depending on its size, space for control and the metering system. Above a certain output, wallboxes and heat pumps count as controllable consumption devices under § 14a EnWG; what this means for grid fees and control is explained by the Federal Network Agency.
If several of these systems are added over time, it is worth planning the meter cabinet once with the future in mind rather than converting it again for each new system. You can read more about charging stations on our wallbox installation page.
Work on the meter cabinet is work on the electrical installation behind the house connection fuse and therefore not a job for DIY. Under § 13 of the German Low Voltage Connection Ordinance, only the grid operator or a company registered in an installer directory may build, extend or modify the installation.
When a meter cabinet is replaced, the grid operator is involved because the meter is removed, refitted and the installation is then put back into operation. Which documents and arrangements are needed in each case is something we clarify during planning.
It starts with an assessment: we look at the meter cabinet, the house connection and the distribution board and discuss which equipment will be added now and later. We then plan the new meter position with spare capacity and prepare a quote. On the day of the conversion, the power in the house is switched off while the work is carried out. Afterwards the installation is measured, documented in a test report and put into operation. This information helps us with a first assessment:
If the meter cabinet is renewed as part of a larger renovation, we plan the electrical installation at the same time, so that the sub-distribution board and circuits match the new meter position and later extensions are possible without another conversion.
As an electrician in Neuss we renew meter cabinets in detached houses and apartment buildings, from the Dreikönigenviertel and Pomona to Selikum, Gnadental and Erfttal. We also install new and converted meter positions in Kaarst, Meerbusch, Dormagen, Grevenbroich and Korschenbroich as well as in Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Cologne.
Whether your meter position can be extended can often be roughly judged from a photo. Detailed planning follows during the on-site assessment.
You can find every place we work in on our service area page.
Not automatically. Replacement usually becomes necessary when new equipment is added, a new meter has no suitable position or the meter position has defects.
The meter cabinet belongs to the customer installation, so the owner usually bears the cost. The meter is provided by the metering point operator.
No, the power in the house is switched off while work is carried out on the meter cabinet. We agree the date with you beforehand.
Not always. If the space and type of the existing meter position are sufficient for the meter and control unit, a conversion is often enough. We check this before planning.
A modern metering device is a digital meter. A smart metering system also connects this meter to a communication unit that can transmit readings.
It depends on the size, the number of meters and the scope of the conversion. After the assessment you receive a quote.
Kara Elektrotechnik
Send us a photo of the meter cabinet and tell us about the equipment you are planning. We will get back to you to arrange an assessment.
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