Search for “smart energy meter” and you’ll find two completely different things:
- The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) smart meter: the meter in the meter cabinet outside. Your bill is calculated from it, and it lets you switch to a time-of-use rate or to a private electricity supplier.
- Your own smart energy meter: a small device that an electrician installs inside your home’s electrical panel. In the app, it shows you in real time how much electricity the home is using right now, what uses the most, and what your solar roof is producing.
Both are useful, and neither replaces the other. In this guide we explain what each one gives you, what it costs, and when it’s worth having both.
The IEC smart meter
The IEC is gradually replacing the old meters with smart meters that send their readings remotely. There’s no longer any need for a meter reader, and the bill is calculated from actual consumption in every 15-minute period.
What it gives you:
- Switching to a time-of-use rate and to discount plans from private electricity suppliers. Without a smart meter, you can’t join most of these plans.
- Consumption data in your personal account on the IEC website. The data arrives with a delay and shows the whole home, with no breakdown by appliance.
How to order one: if your meter hasn’t been replaced yet, you can ask the IEC for an early replacement. Only the IEC installs this meter. A request you initiate carries a one-time fee of a few hundred shekels, according to the Electricity Authority’s tariff book, and a wait of up to about two months. Check the current price on the IEC website before you order.
Your own smart energy meter
This is a device installed inside your home’s electrical panel, next to the main breaker or on a specific circuit. It connects to Wi-Fi, and some models also to a wired network. The data shows up in the app wherever you are.
What it gives you that the IEC’s meter doesn’t:
- Consumption right now, in real time. Turn on the water heater and see immediately how much consumption went up.
- A breakdown by circuit. Air conditioners, water heater, electric car, kitchen: each one separately.
- Solar: how much the roof produces, how much of that the home uses, and how much goes to the grid.
- Alerts: unusual consumption, an appliance left on, or a lost phase.
- Automations: you can turn off the water heater when consumption is high, or run it only while the roof is producing.
- Cost at your own rate. Set your rate in the app, including a time-of-use rate, and see your consumption in shekels. See setting electricity rates in the app.
The difference in one table
| IEC meter | Your own smart meter (Shelly) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it’s installed | The meter cabinet, outside the home | The electrical panel inside the home |
| Who installs it | The IEC only | A licensed electrician |
| Determines your bill | Yes | No |
| Time-of-use rate / private supplier | Enables it | Not relevant |
| Real-time consumption | No | Yes |
| Breakdown by circuit or appliance | No | Yes |
| Solar production metering | No | Yes |
| Alerts and automations | No | Yes |
The bottom line: the IEC’s meter determines how much you pay. Your own meter shows what you’re paying for, and lets you change it. If you switch to a time-of-use rate, you get the most out of both: the rate makes certain hours cheaper, and the meter in your home shows what’s worth moving to those hours.
Which Shelly meter is right for your home?
First, check the main breaker in your panel. Most homes in Israel are either single-phase (one breaker, usually 40 A) or 3-phase (three breakers side by side, usually 3 × 25 A or more).
| What you need | Model |
|---|---|
| One appliance or circuit (water heater, air conditioner) up to 16 A | Shelly EM Mini Gen4 |
| A single-phase home, or two circuits (for example, consumption + solar) | Shelly Pro EM-50 |
| A 3-phase home, direct connection up to 63 A per phase | Shelly 3EM-63 Gen3 |
| A 3-phase home, with current transformers and a wired network | Shelly Pro 3EM |
| A large building, business or industrial site, up to 400 A | Shelly Pro 3EM-400 |
You’ll find every model, with prices, in the smart energy meters category. Not sure? The free planner matches the devices to your home.
How a smart meter actually saves you money
The meter itself doesn’t save anything. It shows you where the money goes. These are the places where homes in Israel find most of the waste:
- The water heater. An electric water heater that runs one hour too long every day is one of the most common sources of waste. The meter shows exactly how long it runs. You can connect it to a smart Shabbat timer that turns it off on its own.
- Air conditioners. Every degree lower in summer pushes consumption up. The meter shows which air conditioner is the energy hog, and at which hours.
- Background consumption. How much does your home use at three in the morning, when everyone’s asleep? For many homes, it’s hundreds of watts from devices on standby, old fridges and pumps.
- Time-of-use rate. With an IEC smart meter and a time-of-use plan, you move the washing machine, dishwasher, water heater and car charging to the cheaper hours. The meter in your home shows whether that really happened.
- Solar. Run the water heater and the air conditioners while the roof is producing, instead of buying the electricity back in the evening.
For property owners: an electricity bill for every tenant
A Shelly meter for each unit, store or apartment on the same supply connection lets you split the bill by actual consumption instead of estimating. Combined with the Ozzi Bills service, you can produce a detailed monthly electricity bill for every tenant. Contact us for details.
Installation
A smart energy meter in the panel is installed by a licensed electrician: this is live work inside the electrical panel. On models with current transformers, the transformers clamp around the cable without disconnecting it. Direct-connection models are installed in series. After installation, add the device to the app; see adding a new Shelly device to the app.
Don’t have an electrician? Book an electrician who knows Shelly.
FAQ
Does a Shelly meter replace the IEC’s meter?
No. Your bill is still calculated from the IEC’s meter. The Shelly meter measures for you, inside your home.
Can I compare the numbers?
Yes. The numbers should be very close. A large difference over time is a reason to check the installation or to look into it with the IEC.
Do I need the IEC’s smart meter to use Shelly?
No. A Shelly meter works with any meter, old or smart.
What happens when there’s no internet?
The meter keeps measuring and stores the data. When the connection comes back, the data reaches the app.
I have a solar roof. Which model do I need?
You need a model that measures in both directions, consumption and production: the Pro EM-50 for a single-phase home, or the Pro 3EM for a 3-phase home.