Electricity customers could have to pay more next year due to higher levies. But that not only depends on the network operators, but also on the suppliers.
The four transmission system operators in Germany have announced an increase in the surcharges on network fees for the coming year. In particular, the NEV levy, which will be called the “surcharge for special network use” from 2025, will rise significantly from 0.643 cents to 1.558 cents per kilowatt hour, as the Netztransparenz.de initiative of the four companies announced on Friday. This could result in a slight increase in electricity costs for consumers.
The surcharge for special network use flows into a pool from which network operators who have to invest particularly heavily due to the expansion of renewable energies are relieved. The surcharge is intended to distribute these additional costs to all electricity consumers nationwide.
Several network operator levies are increasing
According to Netztransparenz.de, the offshore levy will also increase from 0.654 cents to 0.816 cents per kilowatt hour. The levy for combined heat and power will therefore increase slightly. The network operators are 50Hertz, Amprion, Tennet and TransnetBW.
Insulate, generate electricity, change
Twelve tips on how you can reduce your energy costs as a tenant
If electricity providers pass on the higher levies to customers, this will result in additional costs of 3.7 percent based on current average electricity prices, according to calculations by the comparison portal Verivox. For a family with an annual consumption of 4,000 kilowatts and costs of just under 1,400 euros, this would be a good 50 euros.
Do electricity suppliers pass on network operator prices?
“However, whether and to what extent the electricity suppliers pass on the cost increases to their customers is at the discretion of the respective supplier,” explained the comparison portal. Providers who stocked up expensively and over the long term during the energy crisis are therefore more likely to pass on the surcharges than others with cheaper procurement.
Source: Stern
