What is MID?

MID refers to the Measuring Instruments Directive of the EU. It is an EU directive aimed at harmonizing the legal requirements for measuring instruments within the EU and the European Economic Area. It sets standards not only for electricity measuring devices but also for gas, water, and heat. The main goal of the directive is to ensure that measuring devices provide accurate and reliable measurements.

Why MID?

The legislator wants to ensure that customers who obtain electricity, gas, water, or heat receive an accurate measurement result for billing. Thus, MID serves both consumer protection and commerce.

Why is MID relevant for charging stations?

MID sets standards for measuring and billing electricity consumption during the charging process. It regulates the technical conditions that a charging station's meter must meet to receive an MID certificate according to EU standards. This concerns, for example, the accuracy class or the result display on the charging station.

Does MID apply in Switzerland?

As an EU directive, MID is not directly applicable to Switzerland from a legal standpoint. In Switzerland, the Federal Law on Metrology (MessG) applies, which in turn is supported by the Ordinance on Measuring Instruments (MessMV) and the Ordinance of the FDJP on Measuring Instruments for Electrical Energy and Performance (EMmV). The MessMV and MID are largely harmonized, so, for example, an MID certification from the EU is also recognized in Switzerland. Therefore, the provisions of MID are also applied in Switzerland through harmonization. The Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) is responsible for compliance with these regulations and the control of electricity meters, among other things, in charging stations in Switzerland.

In which application area is an MID-certified charging station required?

An MID-certified charging station is required in areas where a measuring instrument with billing purposes is installed. That is, when charging processes are billed separately from the general electricity bill to the users, the regulations of the MessMV and EMmV apply.

Example 1: In a shared underground car park, where several parties use the charging infrastructure and are billed for charging processes, MID-certified charging stations will likely need to be installed by June 30, 2027. Existing installations can probably operate without MID-certified charging stations until June 30, 2042. (More information on the dates in the next section.)

Example 2: In a single-family home, where there is no separate billing purpose for electromobility and it is billed via the general meter, no MID-certified charging station is required even after 2027.

From when is an MID-certified charging station required in Switzerland?

METAS is currently preparing a revision of the EMmV and completed the consultation of interested parties at the end of 2023. As of the publication of this article (March 2024), METAS assumes that the amendment to the ordinance will come into force on July 1, 2024.

According to the current status, METAS will only strictly apply the MessMV regulations for meters in charging stations from around 2027. Before this, non-MID-certified charging stations can probably also be installed for billing purposes in Switzerland and operated until 2042.

In its explanations on the amendment of the EMmV, METAS writes that charging stations can be installed by June 30, 2027, that do not comply with the EMmV regulations, provided the error limits are met. These measuring instruments may be used until June 30, 2042, even if their accuracy class does not correspond to the EMmV.

Is Easee working on MID-certified charging stations? 

Yes. Easee will launch charging stations with MID certification in 2024. At the eCar Expo in Stockholm in February 2024, Easee announced that it would start accepting orders for the first MID-certified charging station in the 2nd quarter of 2024.