In 2023, the electricity price for commercial and industrial customers will consist of around 90 % from procurement, sales and grid fees and 10 % from taxes, levies and other charges. On average, a company with an annual medium-voltage consumption of between 150,000 and 20 million kWh will pay around 26.5 cents per kilowatt hour for a new contract. According to the Federal Network Agency, the share of pure grid fees in 2022 will average 6.85 ct/kWh for commercial customers and 2.96 ct/kWh for industrial customers. In November 2023, in response to a small question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs stated that the Grid fees for 2024 will increase by between 10 and 11 % on average.
What are the grid fees?
Grid fees are charges levied for the use of energy infrastructure, in particular for the transportation of electricity or gas. These charges cover the costs of operating, maintaining and expanding the grids required for the distribution and transportation of energy. Grid fees are generally charged by the grid operators and can vary depending on the region and type of energy. In principle, however, a distinction must be made between Distribution grid fees and Transmission system charges can be distinguished.
Grid fees of the distribution grid operators
In Germany there are approx. 900 electricity and distribution grid operatorswhich Regionally varying grid fees charge. Pricing depends on the proportion of renewable energy in the area, the number of small consumers, industrial operations in different sectors that place a load on the grid at different times of the day and the need to renovate the grid. Public subsidies vary greatly here and, as various distribution grid operators have now announced these grid fees for 2024 will increase by between 15 and 19 %. However, the grid fees ultimately paid by the end consumer are also made up of the transmission system operators' grid fees.
Grid fees of the transmission system operators
Transmission grids are used to transport electrical energy via long distances from the generation sources to the consumption centers. These grids consist of high-voltage lines and transmission systems that make this possible, transmit large amounts of electrical energy with minimal energy loss. The transmission networks are organized at national level and are operated by transmission system operators. In Germany, grid fees have been standardized since 2017, initially by the Grid Fee Modernization Act (NEMoG) and later by the "Ordinance on the Gradual Introduction of Uniform Federal Transmission Grid Fees" until 2023, and are now uniformly at 3.12 ct/kWh. The operators will continue to receive a subsidy of 5.5 billion euros from the federal government in 2024 and could also receive a one-off payment of 13 billion euros in 2022 following the abolition of the EEG levy. As a result, the grid fees for the Transmission system operators increase by 2 %.
What are the cost drivers?
All network operators report that the Redispatch and the expansion of the grid reserve are currently driving up costs in particular. Regulatory requirements also play a decisive role, as the requirements of the supervisory authorities can increase costs for grid operators. Energy policy, in particular the expansion of renewable energies, can lead to additional costs as grids need to be adapted to cope with the decentralized nature of these energy sources. Grid losses during the transportation of energy are another significant cost driver. The maintenance of grids to ensure their efficiency and reliability requires regular financial resources. Personnel costs for qualified staff to operate and maintain the grids also contribute to the overall costs. In addition, technological developments, although they may enable efficiency improvements, can also be associated with investment costs. The exact composition of grid fees varies depending on the region, energy policy and regulatory environment.