New Accuracy Standards for EV Chargers, Gas Pumps, and Smart Meters

EU Parliament Votes to Update Rules for Measuring Equipment
Resolution of 10 February 2026

The European Parliament has approved updates to the rules governing measuring instruments sold in EU countries. These rules haven't changed in over 20 years, and new types of measuring equipment have appeared on the market that the old rules didn't cover.

What's changing and why?

The updated rules now include:

• EV charging stations — Equipment that measures how much electricity is transferred when charging an electric vehicle was not previously covered. The new rules set accuracy standards for these systems.
• Compressed gas pumps — Equipment used to dispense compressed gases like hydrogen or natural gas at fueling stations now has its own set of requirements for the first time.
• Gas meters — Updated to account for hydrogen and other alternative fuel gases, and to better support smart metering technology.
• Electricity meters — Updated to cover direct current (DC) electricity and to support smart meters, which play a role in reaching the EU's climate goals.
• Thermal energy meters — Now also cover cooling applications (previously only heating was covered), avoiding the need for separate national certifications.

Key accuracy requirements for EV charging systems

Three accuracy classes are defined (A, B, and C, from least to most precise):

• Class A: errors must stay within ±2%
• Class B: errors must stay within ±1%
• Class C: errors must stay within ±0.5%

Key accuracy requirements for compressed gas dispensers

• Hydrogen dispensers: measurements must be accurate to within ±2%
• Other compressed gas dispensers: accurate to within ±1.5%

Timeline for businesses

• Existing equipment already on the market can continue to be sold for up to 30 months after the new rules take effect.
• New EV charging and compressed gas equipment already on sale has up to 4 years to comply — and no retrofitting of existing charging stations or gas dispensers is required.
• Existing certifications remain valid for up to 12 years after the rules take effect.
• EU countries have 2 years to pass their own national laws putting these rules into effect, and must start applying them 30 months after the directive enters into force.

Consumer protections

All measuring systems must clearly display results, protect data from accidental deletion or tampering, and must not be set up in a way that systematically benefits one party (e.g., the seller) over another.