WE Data Europe event at European Parliament: What now for Smart Water Metering in Europe?

On 3 November, WE Data Europe organised an event at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Kristian Vigenin (S&D, Bulgaria). It marked the conclusion of the #EveryDropCounts campaign, which has been running since the summer to promote best practices and first movers deploying smart water metering in Europe.

The discussion highlighted broad stakeholder support for accelerating the deployment of smart water metering across Europe, including through a clear EU-wide framework and ambitious deployment targets for both new and existing buildings.

It brought together policymakers, industry representatives and key stakeholders to explore how we can accelerate the rollout of smart water metering across Europe.

MEP Kristian Vigenin opened with an important reminder: “We cannot afford to waste our water resources.” He also highlighted the need to match digitalisation ambitions with practical support, keeping consumers at the centre and ensuring no Member State is left behind.

Pernille Weiss-Ehler, member of Commissionner Jessika Roswall Cabinet, European Commissionner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Economy also emphasised that smart water metering is essential as it provides the necessary data layer to develop a water-smart society, an EU objective formulated in the Water Resilience Strategy, illustrating her support for the deployment of the technology.

Four of our campaign participants – OCEA, Brunata, the City of Zaragoza and Water Europe – shared their experiences and insights, showing how better data and digitalisation can help build a more resilient and efficient water sector. You can check their contributions to the campaign here.

Three priorities emerged from the discussion:

  • A clear EU-level political mandate for smart water metering
  • Strong incentives and support schemes to accelerate deployment
  • Targets for new and existing buildings to accelerate deployment

Turning this ambition into reality requires strong EU leadership and an enabling regulatory framework. WE Data Europe looks forward to the upcoming Smart Water Metering for All Initiative, which has the potential to set a clear direction and accelerate progress across Europe.

Euroheat & Power Summit 2026: Secure your spot!

The Euroheat & Power Summit will take place on 3-4 November 2026 in Brussels (at Sparks Meeting).

The is a high-level, not-to-be-missed policy event, gathering +200 attendees, offering key insights into EU legislation and emerging trends shaping Europe’s heating and cooling sector.

This year, the Summit comes at a defining moment for Europe’s energy transition.

In July 2026, the European Commission unveiled its “Electrification Action Plan”, a strategy aimed at making the European Union the “first electro-continent”.

It is no coincidence that it calls for scaling up district heating and cooling networks. Large heat pumps, e-boilers, thermal storage, waste heat and local renewable heat sources are a golden opportunity to bring efficiency and flexibility to an increasingly electrified energy system.

To tap into these benefits, the EU sets a deployment trajectory aiming to supply 15% of the EU’s heat demand with district heating by 2030, and to reach 7% annual growth in EU Member States.

The target is clear, but how do we get there?

The conversation starts at the Euroheat & Power Summit 2026 on 3–4 November. Secure your spot to meet high-level policy makers and industry leaders, have impactful conversations, hear inspirational keynotes and gain fresh perspectives on the heating and cooling transition!

Highlights of the Summit include:

  • Executive interviews and keynotes with high-level EU policymakers and thought leaders
  • Engaging exchanges on the upcoming EU Waste heat initiative, Cooling and heating action plan, post-2030 framework and ETS revision
  • Friendly networking with 200+ peers from the sector
  • An iconic After-Work: “Winter is coming!”

Register now: Register | Euroheat & Power Summit

Check out the programme: Programme | Euroheat & Power Summit

Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform: WE Data Europe selected as one of the 55 High-Level Experts

WE Data Europe is proud to be one of 55 stakeholders selected to contribute to the European Commission’s Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform.

The Platform brings together a broad range of European stakeholders, including business representatives, the water sector, civil society, regional and local authorities, and Member State governments. It focuses on selected priority areas linked to strengthening water resilience, including digitalisation and water efficiency and will support the implementation of the EU’s water resilience agenda. 

We were pleased to join the Platform’s launch in Brussels on 21 September and to contribute to the panel on water efficiency, sharing practical success stories on how smart water metering can help turn efficiency ambitions into measurable action.

As Commissioner Jessika Roswall put it: “We can make every drop count in every corner of Europe.”

For us, implementation is now key. Water efficiency needs to move beyond strategies and ambitions and reach people where water is actually used: in homes and buildings. Citizens living in apartments should not be left behind. We need to make sure that every flat, in every corner of Europe, can benefit from the data and insights that smart water metering can provide.

As European Economic and Social Committee President Alain Coheur concluded: “Now it is about how we turn ambition into concrete results.”

WE Data Europe looks forward to to bringing the perspective of the metering and data management sector to the Platform and contributing to making water resilience a reality across Europe.

Find our detailed recommendations here: Policy Recommendations on Digitalisation Action Plan.

‘Every Drop Counts’ Campaign Launch & Summer Reception

Europe is facing rising water stress, ageing infrastructure, and increasing pressure on local utilities. The EU’s Water Resilience Strategy calls for smarter, more efficient water management – and cities are already stepping up.

In this context, we are delighted to invite you to the launch of the WE Data Europe City Campaign “Every Drop Counts”, alongside participating cities and regions from across Europe. The campaign brings together leading voices committed to advancing practical, data-driven solutions for water efficiency in buildings and cities, alongside Commissioner Jessika Roswall and Members of the European Parliament.

The evening will take place as a summer reception in a courtyard setting, with food, drinks, and a series of short speeches from policy-makers.

Place: Avenue des Arts 56, 1000 Brussels (courtyard)
Date & Time: 2 July, 17:30 – 20:00

18:00 – Opening Words by:

Markus Weidling, CEO WE Data Europe

Sofia Lettenbichler, Managing Director WE Data Europe

Keynote Speeches: 

MEP Kristian Vigenin, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

MEP Kai Tegethoff, The Greens/European Free Alliance

MEP Thomas Bajada, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats

 

And once the formal programme wraps up, we’ll keep the evening going with a relaxed atmosphere and good company!

Join us to celebrate the launch, connect with peers, and be part of a growing movement putting water resilience at the top of Europe’s agenda.

 

Please confirm your attendance by 30 June by sending an email to office@wedata.eu.

 

We look forward to welcoming you for an inspiring and enjoyable summer evening!

Beyond AccelerateEU: Digital Solutions and Best Practices for Immediate Energy Savings

The recent energy crises have shown that supply-side measures alone are insufficient to ensure energy security in Europe. We therefore welcome the European Commission’s AccelerateEU Catalogue, which recognises optimised default settings for centralised heating systems, alongside smart heating controls and thermostats, as fast routes to stronger resilience, lower energy bills and greater energy independence.
 
While this represents a significant step toward more energy-efficient buildings, WE Data Europe has identified readily available digital solutions based on submetering data that further enhance transparency, encourage behavioural change, and unlock additional efficiency gains of up to 30% through data-driven optimisation that go beyond the Commission’s current recommendations.
 
The paper presents practical and scalable measures, including:
 
Digital best practices
  • Deploying submetering to improve transparency and achieve energy savings
  • Digital optimisation of heating and cooling systems
  • Targeted building renovations enabled by accurate consumption data
Policy best practices from Member States
  • Boosting submetering coverage in buildings
  • Using submetering data to detect inefficiencies
  • Optimising heating systems and improving hydraulic balancing
Together, these recommendations provide practical tools to deliver immediate energy savings, strengthen resilience, enhance affordability, and accelerate the transition towards a more secure and sustainable European energy system.
 
Download the full paper below to explore the recommendations and best practices in detail.
Download the Recommendations

WE Data Europe’s Interview with Smart Water Magazine

Smart Water Magazine - WE Data Europe Article (Water Resilience Digitalisation)

Digitalisation is rapidly becoming one of the most important levers for strengthening Europe’s water resilience and at WE Data Europe, we believe our industry is ready to deliver. That’s the message we shared in our recent feature in Smart Water Magazine, where we discussed how data‑driven water management can help utilities, policymakers, and building owners respond to growing water stress across the continent.

In the article, we highlight a simple truth: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Smart metering, submetering, and digital monitoring give water managers the real‑time insights they need to detect leaks early, understand consumption patterns, and optimise systems at scale. These tools are no longer “future technologies”, they are mature, proven solutions already delivering measurable savings across Europe.

But unlocking their full potential requires a supportive regulatory framework, consistent implementation across regions, and a shared commitment to digital transformation. As an industry, we stand ready to support this shift with the expertise, technology, and data needed to build a more resilient water future.

You can find the first part of the article below. If you’re interested in how digitalisation can strengthen Europe’s water systems and the role our sector can play, we invite you to read the full article on Smart Water Magazine’s website here.

 

As Europe faces growing challenges around water scarcity and resource efficiency, the digital transformation of the water sector has never been more urgent. WE Data Europe, the European Association for Energy and Water Data Management, unites companies and organisations leading the way in smart metering and data-driven resource management. In this interview, Markus Weidling, CEO, and Sofia Lettenbichler, Managing Director of WE Data Europe, discuss how digital metering empowers both utilities and consumers to use water more efficiently. They share insights from a new pan-European study showing that smart water metering can reduce household consumption by up to 25%, highlighting how data, technology, and policy alignment can drive Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable and resilient water future.

WE Data Europe, the European Association for Energy and Water Data Management, brings together companies and organisations at the forefront of digital metering and data management across Europe. Could you briefly explain WE Data Europe’s mission and how it supports the digital transformation of the water sector?

Markus Weidling: At WE Data Europe, our mission is simple but powerful: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. We represent the companies that make it possible to collect, analyse, and act on energy and water data in buildings. By promoting the rollout of smart water and energy metering, we accelerate Europe’s transition towards more efficient, sustainable, and resilient resource management.

Sofia Lettenbichler: The digital transformation of the water sector starts with data. Digital metering enables real-time insights into how water is used, helping consumers understand and optimise their consumption. Our role is to bridge innovation and policy so that these solutions can scale across Europe.” […]

Unlocking up to 40% Energy Savings: How Digital Optimisation Transforms Building Heating Systems in Europe

Image building grey

Heating and cooling is at the heart of Europe’s energy challenge. Buildings account for 40% of the EU’s total energy consumption [Energy Balances, Eurostat, May 2025], with heating and cooling demand alone responsible for over a quarter of final energy use [Energy consumption in households Eurostat, June 25]. Yet, most buildings still operate oversized, misconfigured heating systems, often running at unnecessarily high supply temperatures, wasting vast amounts of energy and blocking the integration of low-temperature heating sources.

Drawing on real-life case studies of digital solutions implemented in Germany, Denmark and Spain, this brochure demonstrates how data-driven heating system optimisation, enabled by submetering and smart control technologies, can tackle these inefficiencies and unlock sustained energy savings of 20 – 40% without requiring structural changes or major investments, while maintaining thermal comfort of residents.

Digital optimisation achieves these results by using consumption and temperature data to adjust heating system settings, improve hydraulic balancing, and lower return temperatures, ensuring that the energy is delivered in the building in the most efficient way possible, only when and where it is needed.

Beyond reducing energy waste, optimisation solutions make buildings ready for low-temperature heating solutions, such as heat pumps and district heating, and therefore directly support the decarbonisation objectives of the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Find our Brochure, featuring seven case studies on heating system optimisation, here.

Based on these findings, WE Data Europe recommends the following points to be taken up in the Heating & Cooling Strategy as well as in the Electrification Action Plan:

  1. Introduce a dedicated digitalisation chapter
  2. Prioritise data-driven optimisation of heating systems in investments on buildings efficiency
  3. Favour digital metering over drive-by or walk-by systems to maximise the benefits of remotely readable meters
  4. Ensure the full and consistent implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive across Member States.

Find our full set of Policy Recommendations here.

Download the Brochure
Download the Policy Recommendations