Too Smart? Modern Meters Raise Big Concerns

Author: prepared by KM • Source: Rynek Zdrowia • Published: June 30, 2025 21:19 • Updated: June 30, 2025 21:19
The draft amendment to the Energy Law introducing smart gas meters raises serious concerns of the UODO president about the protection of Poles' personal data. The office warns that the new regulations may lead to automatic processing of sensitive information about gas consumption.
- Smart gas meters are designed to measure actual fuel consumption and the exact time of its use
- All this information generates data about the recipients' habits
- The President of the Office for Personal Data Protection, Mirosław Wróblewski, points out the lack of consultation of the project with his office at the government stage
- PUODO also refers to ambiguities regarding the purpose of processing the collected data.
As Money.pl writes, the president of the Office for Personal Data Protection, Mirosław Wróblewski, warns that the draft amendment to the Energy Law, which assumes the introduction of smart gas meters, was not consulted with his office at the government stage.
Smart meters are designed to measure actual gas consumption and time of use . This carries the risk of processing the personal data of the end user, including information on energy consumption and time of day when they use gas. Wróblewski emphasizes the need for clear legal regulations specifying who, for what purpose, in what manner and for how long will have access to this sensitive information .
The President of the UODO points out that the European Directive on Energy Efficiency obliges to ensure data security and privacy of recipients. There is a fear that data from meters will be processed automatically, which may lead to profiling of users. GDPR in Article 22 provides the data subject with the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling. This is particularly important, because entities will obtain knowledge of the quantities and when the recipient uses gas devices.
As an example of good practice, Wróblewski points to the Banking Law regulations that protect individuals from similar decisions. The implementation of smart meters must absolutely take into account these requirements in order to effectively protect the privacy of citizens.
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