The purpose of the IEC61850 standard is to enable the use of ethernet technology in substation automation. The aim is to reduce the costs by eliminating the need for a new communication protocol using the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocol and to process the signal exchange processes faster. Thus, automations to be used in power plants will be standardized with IEC61850.

It is in a pioneering position in the implementation of smart meter systems, especially the participation of consumers and distributed production facilities in the market, energy saving, balancing of peak demands, and integration of new technologies into the system. For this reason, many countries have accelerated their investments in this area, and international platforms and regulatory institutions have created approach strategies. With the developments in meter and communication technologies and R&D studies, the idea of remote access to meter data in more frequent periods has brought smart meter systems investments to the agenda. Smart metering systems investments have started primarily for users with high consumption, where receivables management and financial settlement efforts are important.

Turkey is entering a period in which decisive steps should be taken towards the smart meter systems strategy and the studies should be carried out in coordination. At this point, the need to clarify the duties and responsibilities of all stakeholders by putting forward a road map in order to maximize the benefit to be obtained from the investments to be made and to prevent the unnecessary investments comes to the forefront.

As in energy networks, meters have changed over time all over the world and in our country. While mechanical meters were used until 2001, after this date, the transition to electronic meters with more accurate measurement features and tariff application capability has been achieved. It is expected that mechanical meters will be completely obsolete in the near future.

Meters are the first point where valuable data belonging to an energy network are produced. One of the basic principles regarding the protection of information is to protect the data as close to its original source as possible.

Protecting information at the first point (cryptographically encrypting, signing, etc.) can prevent many attacks on information at a later point.

From the opposite point of view, it will be more difficult to protect the information that is not protected at the first point, or to ensure the reliability of this protection at later points. For example, let's take an advanced smart grid structure. Let's assume that user consumption information is not protected on meters, but is protected by strong measures against cyber threats on transmission lines. If the attacker (this may also be the counter user) accesses the meter and interferes with the accuracy of the consumption information, no matter how strong the data transmission lines are protected, false data on which the intervention has been made will reach the center. This example does not mean that cyber security is not important in transmission lines in smart grids, but emphasizes the place of meters in system security. After the integration of the meters, which have the capacity to provide end-to-end security with the center they are connected to, into the system, full security can be achieved by closing the exposed points in the network security area, according to the analysis made.