E-Control links future grid fees to 15-minute peaks

Austria’s E-Control has presented a proposal to base electricity grid charges on each customer’s highest 15-minute consumption, a change that could increase costs for households with heat pumps or electric cars, ORF reported. The model is due to be implemented by 1 July 2028.

The reform aims to ease pressure on the electricity grid. E-Control says it is intended to cut annual grid expansion costs by €300 million.

E-Control board member Alfons Haber said an electric car might draw a steady 11 kilowatts while charging. If a washing machine and dishwasher are switched on within a short period, the average could fall to about 4 kW, he said. The average is calculated over 15 minutes and forms the basis for the charge.

Alexandra Berchtold, from Villach, said she felt disadvantaged by the change. Her household bought an electric car in December, she said, and now fears higher costs despite having made the choice for environmental reasons.

Consumers may receive discounts if they shift electricity use to daytime in summer and nighttime in winter. Discounts may also apply to air-source heat pumps if they are switched off for set hours each day. The reduction can reach 75 percent. The charge for capacity will be adjusted monthly, based on the highest 15-minute consumption reading for that month.

The timing of the change in Carinthia remains unclear while network operators coordinate on implementation.