For companies in Germany, the Electricity tax to the fixed, but often underestimated cost components on the electricity bill. The standard rate is 2.05 cents per kilowatt-hour – for the manufacturing sector as well as agriculture and forestry, a rate reduced to the EU minimum rate has been permanently applicable since 2026 of 0.05 cents per kilowatt-hour. The legal basis is the Electricity Tax Act (StromStG) in conjunction with the EU Energy Taxation Directive, which prescribes mandatory minimum rates for all member states.
What goes by the name of “electricity tax” in Germany is not always found under the same name or in a comparable form in other EU countries—some countries levy a uniform excise duty, others a digressively staggered system or multiple taxes with different legal bases. What this means for a reliable European comparison and how the German rate ranks in the international context is covered in detail in Section 2 of this report.
Electricity tax in Germany
What is the electricity tax?
The electricity tax is a consumption tax on the purchase of electrical energy and is not paid directly by the company but is remitted by the utility provider to the relevant main customs office—the provider passes it on to its customers through the price of electricity. Legally, it is part of the so-called ecological tax reform of 1999 and was originally intended primarily to offset declining pension insurance contributions.
History of the German Electricity Tax
- 1999: Introduction as part of the ecological tax reform, gradual increase of the rate until 2003
- 2003: Rate set at 2.05 ct/kWh—unchanged since then
- 2011: A basic tax relief provision for the manufacturing sector, as well as agriculture and forestry, has been introduced (Section 9b of the Electricity Tax Act [StromStG]; a refund of 25 % of the standard tax rate above a base amount)
- 2024: Temporary Electricity tax reduction to the EU minimum rate (0.05 ct/kWh) for manufacturing, agriculture, and forestry as part of the electricity pricing package—initially only for the consumption years 2024 and 2025
- 2026: Making the 0.05-ct rule permanent and enshrining it in law, as a flat rate regardless of consumption volume or company size; in return, the existing peak load adjustment (§ 10 StromStG) will be completely eliminated
Legal basis
The electricity tax is regulated by the Electricity Tax Act (StromStG) and the Electricity Tax Implementing Regulation (StromStV). The EU legal framework is provided by the EU Energy Tax Directive 2003/96/EC, which sets minimum tax rates (0.50 €/MWh for commercial use, 1.00 €/MWh for non-commercial use) and thus limits the scope for national reductions.
Current Status: Height & Elevation
The Standard Rate remains unchanged 2.05 kWh (20.50 €/MWh). For a company with an annual consumption of, say, 500,000 kWh, this corresponds to an electricity tax burden of 10,250 € per year at the standard rate—or just 250 € at the reduced rate for the manufacturing sector.
Electricity Tax Cuts for the Manufacturing Sector
Since its adoption in 2026, the reduced rate of 0.05 ct/kWh on an ongoing basis for companies in the manufacturing sector as well as for agriculture and forestry, provided they have a minimum annual consumption of 12,500 kWh. This regulation replaces the previous application process for peak load compensation, which was subject to additional requirements such as an energy management system (e.g.,. ISO 50001) was tied. The relief volume for the economy is estimated at around 3 billion euros per year estimated.
Exemptions (§ 9 para. 1 StromStG)
Electricity is fully tax-exempt only in narrowly defined cases—for Companies with own generation Two factors are particularly relevant:
- § 9, para. 1, no. 1: Electricity generated by facilities that use only renewable energy sources, provided that it is consumed by the operator at the site of generation (capped at 10 MW of generator capacity for hydropower).
- Section 9, paragraph 1, item 3: Electricity from facilities with a rated electrical capacity of up to 2 MW that exclusively Harness wind power, solar energy, geothermal energy, or hydropower or generated in highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) plants, provided that it is withdrawn for self-consumption or supplied to third parties in the immediate vicinity.
Important for Practical Application: This exemption does not apply across the board to every form of self-generation up to 2 MW—a diesel generator or a gas engine without proof of high efficiency is not covered by it. For PV and BESS self-consumption models in a commercial context, No. 3 is the key reference point.
In addition, there are exemptions unrelated to renewable energy for emergency power generators, power supplies for ships and aircraft, and rail transportation (Section 9(1)(2), (4)–(6) of the Electricity Tax Act)—though these are of secondary importance in most business contexts.
Summary Table: Tax Rates and Exemptions for Businesses at a Glance
| Constellation | Cause and Effect | Prerequisite |
| Standard Rate | 2.05 kWh | Standard case |
| Manufacturing / Agriculture and Forestry | 0.05 ct/kWh | At least 12,500 kWh/year, on a permanent basis starting in 2026 |
| Large-scale renewable energy generation system for on-site consumption | tax-free | Section 9, paragraph 1, number 1 of the Electricity Tax Act (StromStG) |
| Own generation up to 2 MW (RES or high-efficiency CHP) | tax-free | Section 9 Paragraph 1 No. 3 of the Electricity Tax Act |
Electricity tax in European comparison
Clarification: What is being compared here?
A European electricity tax comparison is methodically more challenging than it appears at first glance. This is because „electricity tax“ is not fully harmonized in its definition across the member states. While the EU Energy Taxation Directive (2003/96/EC) provides a common framework with minimum rates, how the individual member states implement this framework nationally varies considerably:
- Uniform excise dutyGermany, Denmark, Austria, France and the Czech Republic levy a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour or megawatt-hour, regardless of individual consumption (in France with differentiation according to connection capacity).
- Regressive energy taxesThe Netherlands and Italy tier the rate according to consumption volume or connected load—with in some cases falling rates for higher consumption tiers and additional allowances or fixed refunds.
- ad valorem tax on the invoice amount: Spain does not tax the amount consumed, but rather levies a percentage (5.11 %) on the total bill amount, which includes the energy and power charges —structurally closer to a consumption tax with VAT-like characteristics than to the ct/kWh systems used in other countries.
- Multiple levies with different legal basesIn some countries, the tax burden consists of several separate components that have evolved historically in different ways and serve different purposes.
- Integrated production levies: In the Netherlands, for example, the former separate renewable energy surcharge (ODE) has been fully integrated into the „Energiebelasting“ since 2023. The reported tax thus also bundles a purpose that was historically reported separately in other countries (e.g., the former German EEG surcharge). This explains the conspicuously high Dutch value in comparison and puts the direct comparability with pure excise taxes into perspective.
For a reliable comparison, it must therefore be determined in advance what exactly is recorded. This report deliberately restricts itself to the purely consumption-based electricity tax or electricity duty in the strict sense. The following are not included:
- Value-added tax / Sales tax
- Grid Fees and Grid Usage Costs
- EEG surcharge, subsidy surcharges, and similar special-purpose levies
- other non-tax price components (e.g., concession fees, system charges)
This narrow definition is deliberately chosen and distinguishes this report from our annual comparison of Industrial electricity prices in Europe, which examines the total price including grid fees and already describes in detail the same methodological challenge—inconsistent national cost structures and data collection methods. Those seeking a comprehensive price comparison that includes procurement costs and grid fees will find the appropriate supplement there; this report focuses specifically on the tax burden in isolation as one of several cost components.
The EU framework: Minimum tax rates
The EU Energy Tax Directive mandates minimum rates for all member states: 0.05 ct/kWh (0.50 €/MWh) for commercial use and 0.10 ct/kWh (1.00 €/MWh) for non-commercial use. On the other hand, the national discretion is open-ended upwards – which explains the sometimes considerable range between the member states.
This lower limit is currently particularly relevant because several of the countries compared here have specifically made use of it for 2026: Germany permanently lowered the rate for the manufacturing sector to exactly this value, and Denmark and Austria have also (temporarily) lowered their rates for households to the EU minimum. The minimum rate thus effectively functions as a reference point on which current national reforms are based—not just as a theoretical lower limit.
Current Situation as of Mid-2026 by Country Overview
| Land | Electricity tax for businesses | Preferential industrial tariff | Exceptions & Important Notes |
| Germany | 2.05 ct/kWh (standard rate) | 0.05 ct/kWh (manufacturing sector, permanent since 2026) | Manufacturing as well as agriculture and forestry can be granted relief down to the EU minimum tax rate. |
| Bulgaria | 0.10 ct/kWh (2.00 BGN/MWh) | 0 (not taxable – only commercial use is taxed) | EU minimum level or low specific burden; exemptions for certain energy uses |
| Denmark | 0.11 ct/kWh for 2026-2027 Fixed consumption tax | Lowerable to €0.10 ct/kWh | High general rate; reduced rates for process energy, industry, and certain commercial applications |
| France | 3.062 ct/kWh (30.62 €/MWh, as of August 1, 2026, ≤36 kVA) | 2.635 ct/kWh (>36 kVA); 0.05 ct/kWh for energy-intensive industries | Multiple consumption categories; heavily reduced rates for energy-intensive companies and certain industrial processes – rates change several times a year |
| Italy | 2.27 ct/kWh (above the small consumer exemption limit) | Tapered: 1.25 ct/kWh up to 200,000 kWh/month, 0.75 ct/kWh above that (up to 1.2 million kWh/month) | Monthly or consumption-dependent electricity levies; relief for energy-intensive companies, tiered by consumption |
| Netherlands | 10.8 Degressive tariff; no uniform corporate rate; 9.16 ct/kWh net (up to 10,000 kWh) | up to 0.1 – Regressive from higher consumption levels (approx. from 50,000 kWh) | Sharply degressive energy tax rate; very low marginal burden at high consumption, partial exemptions for processes |
| Austria | 0.82 ct/kWh net (up to 10,000 kWh) for a limited time | 0.1 ct/kWh (2026, limited duration, EU minimum) | Refunds for energy-intensive companies possible if the burden exceeds certain limits – Reduced for 2026 only – Extension open |
| Spain | 5.11 % of the invoice amount, minimum rate of 1.00 €/MWh | 5.11 % of the invoice amount, minimum rate €0.50/MWh | Electricity tax generally reduced; additional regional and system-related charges may be relevant |
| Czech Republic | 0,11 ct/kWh (28.30 CZK/MWh) | no difference commercial/household; reducible to 0.05 ct/kWh (see right) | Low excise duty; exemptions for certain processes and electricity generation |
| UK | 0.801 p/kWh (Climate Change Levy); up to 92 % discount under the Climate Change Agreement | tax-free (except for domestic use) | Outside the EU legal framework |
Assessment of Electricity Taxes for Businesses in Europe
A comparison of countries reveals three fundamentally different approaches to taxation: Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands tax basically all consumer groups, with targeted tax breaks for energy-intensive industries. Bulgaria and the United Kingdom are taking the opposite approach and Exempt households and personal use entirely, while only commercial use is taxed. In 2026, Denmark and Austria temporarily lowered rates for both groups to or near the EU minimum—for fiscal policy reasons, not structural ones.
When it comes to standard rates for commercial use, Germany, France, and Italy are in fact very close together at the higher end of the range (2.05–3.06 ct/kWh)—with France even slightly ahead of Germany. It is only when it comes to reduced or commercial rates that the countries converge at a lower level. Germany, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic are closely grouped just above the EU minimum rate, while France’s standard commercial rate, at 2.635 ct/kWh, remains significantly higher; only the special rate for electricity-intensive industries is comparable to the German level. This underscores the fact that “the German electricity tax” cannot be categorized in a one-size-fits-all manner—the standard rate and the reduced industrial rate lie at opposite ends of the European spectrum, while other countries (e.g., the Czech Republic) do not have this range at all.
The Netherlands At 9.16 ct/kWh (net, up to 10,000 kWh), these rates stand out significantly from those of all other countries—by far the highest figure in the comparison, due to the inclusion of the former ODE subsidy levy. This burden is offset by a fixed annual tax refund of €628.96 per electricity connection, which primarily benefits smaller consumers—for commercial customers with higher consumption, this offsetting effect is less significant.
Spain Due to the percentage-based assessment basis, it cannot be directly compared to other countries in terms of ct/kWh; assuming an average billing price of approximately 20 ct/kWh, the standard rate of 5.11 % corresponds to about 1.0 ct/kWh —which would place Spain in the middle of the pack in the commercial sector; however, due to multiple crisis-related ad hoc reductions, it is currently, at times, significantly below that level in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the electricity tax for businesses in Germany?
The standard rate is 2.05 cents per kilowatt-hour. For companies in the manufacturing sector as well as agriculture and forestry, a permanently reduced rate of 0.05 cents per kilowatt-hour has been in effect since 2026, provided they have a minimum annual consumption of 12,500 kWh.
Since when has the reduced electricity tax applied to the manufacturing sector?
The reduced rate of 0.05 ct/kWh initially applied on a temporary basis for the consumption years 2024 and 2025. As of January 1, 2026, the regulation has been made permanent and applies regardless of company size or consumption volume (above the minimum threshold).
How does the electricity tax compare to those in other European countries?
Rates range from nearly 0 (Bulgaria and the United Kingdom fully exempt households and residential use, respectively) to over 9 ct/kWh in the Netherlands. In terms of standard rates for non-commercial use, France, Germany, and Italy are at the high end; for reduced industrial rates, many countries are approaching the EU minimum rate of 0.05 ct/kWh.
Does the same minimum rate apply to all EU countries?
Yes—the EU Energy Tax Directive sets a minimum rate of 0.05 ct/kWh (0.50 €/MWh) for commercial use and 0.10 ct/kWh (1.00 €/MWh) for non-commercial use. There is no upper limit, which explains the significant differences among member states.