New Grid Tariffs: Three Out of Four Households to Pay Less in the Future

According to the calculations, small households with an annual consumption of 1,800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and a peak capacity of 2 kW benefit the most. Larger households with 3,500 kWh and 4.4 kW of maximum capacity also save 10 percent. Even households with heat pump heating that use 8,700 kWh and 7 kW save 12.4 percent compared to the status quo thanks to the reform. The reason: appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, or a single hotplate typically draw around 2 kW as well.

It becomes more expensive, however, for e-car owners who charge their vehicle at home from the public grid at full capacity of 11 kilowatts (kW) without adjusting their behavior. With annual consumption of 7,000 kWh, network charges in this case rise by 21 percent. Those who instead charge flexibly and allow the grid operator up to eight hours per day to limit capacity will pay 8.5 percent less in the future. For this flexible capacity, the capacity price is reduced to 25 percent.

Political Reactions

"Mehrkosten entstehen bei Spitzen relativ zum Verbrauch", sagte der neue E-Control-Vorstand Michael Strebl. "Gewinner ist, wer einen konstanten Verbrauch hat." E-Control used data from 2024 to calculate how the switchover affects model households. The ordinance is set to take effect on January 1 of next year and thereby deliver for the first time a more cost-reflective distribution of costs.

The move was met with mixed political reactions. FPÖ energy spokesperson Alexander Kassegger welcomed in a statement that "Verursachungsgerechtigkeit" was now coming, but criticized: "bleiben die schwarz-grünen Fehlsteuerungen in den Förderregimen unangetastet". He was thereby referring to the previous government of ÖVP and Greens. He accused the current Economics Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) of delivering "PR-Shows statt echter Reformen".

What does this mean for households?

The reform is considered the centerpiece of the amendment of the Electricity Act. With the shift toward a stronger capacity component, incentives are to be created to spread electricity consumption more evenly over time and thereby relieve the grid – a concern that is gaining importance in light of the expansion of renewable energies and the growing number of heat pumps and e-cars. Industry associations had repeatedly called strongly in recent months for a reform of grid tariffs.

E-Control pointed out that the concrete effects may vary slightly depending on the grid operator and region. The final ordinance is expected after the ongoing comment period. Should the ordinance enter into force as planned, it would be the most comprehensive restructuring of Austrian electricity grid tariffs since the liberalization of the electricity market.

Consumers will most likely not need to take action themselves: the adjustment is carried out by the respective grid operators and is reflected in the annual network bills. Those who know their consumption and spread it evenly over the day are likely to be among the beneficiaries in the future.