MID Meters and Eichrecht: Billing-Grade Metering in Europe

Short answer: if you bill customers by the kWh, the meter is a legal measuring instrument. In the EU that means a MID-approved meter. Germany’s Eichrecht goes further and requires verifiable, signed data across the whole system, not just a certified meter. A charger that only informs its owner needs neither.

Which rule applies when

Situation	Typical requirement
Private home charger, no billing	None. The built-in meter is for information
Employer reimburses a driver by kWh	Often a calibrated or MID meter; check local rules
Landlord bills tenants per kWh	MID meter, and local billing rules
Public charger priced per kWh (EU)	MID meter or a national equivalent; price per kWh must be shown — see AFIR
Public charger in Germany	MID meter plus Eichrecht system compliance
Public charger in Great Britain	Price per kWh and accuracy rules under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023
United States	State weights-and-measures rules; NIST Handbook 44 Section 3.40 is the model code

Always check the rule of the country where the charger will be installed; this table shows the typical pattern, not a legal opinion.

What MID covers

MID, the Measuring Instruments Directive 2014/32/EU, sets accuracy classes and tests for meters. For electricity meters the relevant annex is MI-003. A MID meter carries the CE mark, the metrological “M” mark and the year, followed by the number of the notified body. For single-phase and three-phase AC chargers, a direct-connected MID meter (up to 65 A or 100 A) is common; for larger DC chargers, a meter with current transformers or a DC meter is used. DC metering rules are newer and differ by market, so ask for the exact approval of the DC meter.

What Eichrecht adds

Eichrecht, the German calibration law, is about proof. The customer should be able to see that the energy on the invoice is the energy that was delivered. In practice charge points need:

1. A meter that signs each reading cryptographically.
2. A way to link the signed readings to the session, the start and end, and the user.
3. Transparency software that the customer can use to check the signed data record.
4. An invoice that points to the data, and an operator process for correction and maintenance.

This is why Eichrecht compliance is a system property. The meter, the charger firmware, the back end and the invoice must all fit together. A MID meter in a charger gives you the first step only.

What to ask a charger supplier

Question	Why it matters
Is the meter MID-approved? Send the certificate with the notified-body number	Confirms billing-grade accuracy
Which model and firmware is the approval for?	Firmware changes can break compliance
Does the charger sign the meter data? Which format?	Needed in Germany; useful elsewhere for disputes
Which back ends are tested with it?	The signed data has to reach the invoice
Is the metering option available for every model you want?	Some series offer it only on request
Where is the meter calibrated and what is the re-verification interval?	Some countries require periodic checks

Cost and delivery impact

Metering approval is not free. A MID meter adds cost and, for DC chargers, can add weeks to the approval. If you are unsure which markets you will sell in, decide this before you order, not after. The same logic applies to the certificates and to your tender specification.

How VULTAE handles it

A MID-certified meter is available on request for our commercial dual-gun AC chargers. For DC chargers, tell us the approval you need and we will confirm what is available for the exact model. Send the destination country and whether you bill per kWh with your enquiry, and we will confirm the metering option before quotation. For the wider rules on selling in Europe and the UK, see importing EV chargers into the EU and UK and the Europe and UK standards page.