Cutting energy costs through grid fee optimisation
At a time when energy costs are rising steadily, it is becoming ever more important for energy-intensive companies to find ways of reducing their operating costs. One promising opportunity for savings are the grid fees that companies have to pay to the grid operators.
Companies whose annual electricity consumption is above a certain threshold in particular can benefit considerably from these savings. In 2024, around 400 base-load customers and around 4,200 atypical grid users under the responsibility of the Bundesnetzagentur achieved grid fee reductions totalling more than 1 billion euros.
What are grid fees?
Grid fees are charges that companies pay for using the electricity grid. These fees cover the costs of operating, maintaining and expanding the electricity grid.
The costs of these grid fees for electricity have risen by an average of 10 % for industrial companies in recent years. Their share of the total electricity price is therefore on average 15 % – and the trend is upwards. In Germany, the grid fees are set by the so-called grid development plans and by the respective grid operators.
Regulation and consumption classes
Regulation by the Bundesnetzagentur
The Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) is responsible for monitoring and approving the grid fees. Grid operators must disclose their costs and charges. These are then examined by the BNetzA in order to ensure that the grid fees are not excessively high.
Distinction between consumption classes
Depending on the consumption class, the grid fees vary considerably. They consist of the energy costs per kWh and the demand costs for the maximum load drawn within a year. Depending on the grid operator, the share of the demand costs in the total costs can be up to 90 per cent.
Waiver of grid fees under § 19 StromNEV
Under § 19 StromNEV (Stromnetzentgeltverordnung), final consumers with a special or grid-stabilising consumption behaviour can apply for reduced grid fees.
Atypical grid usage (§ 19 Abs. 2 Satz 1)
Atypical grid usage describes a special form of electricity use in which certain electricity consumers in a grid distribute their power draw considerably differently from most other consumers – in that they have their highest electricity demand at times when the grid is otherwise less heavily loaded.
This form of grid usage is relevant above all for companies or operations that have their consumption peaks at times of low grid load and therefore place less strain on the grid infrastructure. Examples are energy-intensive operations that shift their main power draw into the night-time hours.
The advantage for such users: they can apply for a reduction in the grid fees, because their atypical grid usage places less strain on the grid and reduces the peak loads.
Electricity-intensive grid usage (§ 19 Abs. 2 Satz 2)
Electricity-intensive grid usage refers to large consumers whose annual electricity consumption is particularly high. As a rule, this concerns energy-intensive industrial operations such as steelworks, chemical plants or large production facilities that continuously require very large amounts of electricity.
The legislator provides that such companies can pay reduced grid fees in order to strengthen their international competitiveness. The conditions for this are an annual electricity consumption of at least 10 gigawatt hours (GWh) and a share of electricity costs of at least 20 per cent of the company's gross value added.
Companies that meet these conditions can apply to their grid operator for a reduction in the grid fees. The purpose of this provision is to lower the energy costs of particularly electricity-intensive companies, since they play an important role in the German economy and since jobs and production capacities are to be retained within the country.
The electric steam generator as part of the solution
One effective approach for companies to increase their electricity consumption, and with it the chance of savings on the grid fees, or to balance out pronounced load peaks, is the use of electric steam generators. These units can be used in many industrial processes to generate heat and steam.
Since the companies concerned as a rule already have a steam network, the electric steam generators can be connected directly to this network.
Increasing electricity consumption and balancing load peaks
By using electric steam generators, companies can increase their total electricity consumption in a targeted manner and thus also balance out high load peaks. Since steam is needed in the companies concerned in any case, a sensible use of the additional electricity can be ensured in this way.
Saving fossil fuels
Modern electric steam generators are characterised by high energy efficiency. The companies concerned can therefore feed the electrically generated steam into their steam network and at the same time reduce traditional steam generation by, for example, gas boilers. Electric steam generators are thus at the same time an opportunity to save fossil energy sources.
Reduction of CO2 emissions
Integrating electric steam generators not only represents an opportunity to save fossil fuels, it also reduces the CO2 emissions of the companies concerned, since less gas or oil is burned. The electric steam generators thus directly improve the climate footprint of the respective company.
Government funding
Companies that switch wholly or partly from fossil steam generation to steam generation from renewable energies – in this case electricity – can, depending on their individual situation, have their investments in this new technology supported by a selection of government subsidy programmes.
Fast implementation and service across the entire life cycle
Fast and efficient implementation
As a leading manufacturer of electric steam generators, we have already gathered experience in implementing such projects. Thanks to short delivery times and reliable partners, we cover the entire value chain – from manufacturing the electric steam generators through installation planning and pipework to commissioning the systems at the customer's site.
Depending on the size of the system, the first units can be commissioned after as little as 6 to 8 weeks, and initial savings can thus be realised.
Reliable support across the entire life cycle
Thanks to our own DINO technicians, we make sure that the operability of the system is assured at all times. In addition to the annual maintenance, telephone support is also available to our customers at any time.
There is also the option of having your own operating staff trained on the systems by experienced technicians. This increases the operational safety of the system and ensures that any minor faults can be rectified more quickly or do not occur in the first place.
Temporary solutions for bridging periods
In addition to selling the electric steam generators, we offer our customers both short-term and long-term rental of the systems. In this way, a temporarily lower electricity consumption can, for example, be balanced out for a few months by installing electric steam generators.
This allows our customers to reduce their initial investment considerably and to remain able to react if their own energy consumption or the requirements of the energy suppliers change. There is also the option of taking over the system completely after an initial rental period.
Conclusion
Energy-intensive companies that reach the required electricity consumption thresholds should give serious consideration to the possibility of savings on the grid fees. The use of electric steam generators in particular can be a sensible strategy for increasing electricity consumption in a targeted manner and thus benefiting from the reduced grid fees.
Through targeted efficiency measures and smart capacity planning, not only can considerable costs be reduced, but competitiveness on the market can also be improved on a lasting basis. Careful analysis and use of these options will be decisive for many companies in today's energy-intensive economy.
