Grid fees in Kärnten set to rise 9.6 percent

Electricity grid fees in Kärnten are set to rise by 9.6 percent, adding about 50 euros a year to the bill of an average household, ORF reported. Klagenfurt is the exception: fees charged by the city’s utilities are expected to fall. The regulatory commission has put the proposed charges out for consultation.

Kärnten Netz cited dry conditions as a reason for the increase. Rivers carried less water, leading Kärnten to obtain more electricity from other grids, and power lines were renewed.

Sebastian Schuschnig, the state’s economy and energy official, criticised the higher costs for households and businesses, particularly in rural areas. In a statement, he called them a “completely disproportionate disadvantage” for Kärnten compared with other Austrian states, despite the state’s contribution to Austria’s electricity supply through its pumped-storage power plants. He said the increase showed the need to negotiate uniform grid costs across Austria.