Electricity Grid Fees Austria 2027: Capacity Charge Adopted

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From 1 January 2027, Austria's energy regulator E-Control links part of the electricity grid fee (Netzentgelt) to peak power draw. The framework regulation SNE-G-V has been adopted and was published on 12 October 2026 as BGBl. II No. 299/2026; it takes effect on 1 January 2027. The actual cent and euro amounts only come with the tariff regulation (SNE-T-V) and were not yet published as of 16 October 2026.

Below we set out what has been decided and what is still open, how the capacity charge works, and what households can prepare now. The electricity grid fees already in force for 2026, broken down by federal state, are covered separately in our electricity network costs by state guide – this article deals only with the structural reform from 2027.

What applies from 1 January 2027: SNE-G-V adopted

Two legal layers need to be kept apart here, because they are often conflated.

Already in force: The Electricity Act (ElWG, popularly the "cheaper electricity law") was passed by the National Council on 11 December 2025 and by the Federal Council on 17 December 2025, published as Federal Law Gazette BGBl. I No. 91/2025, and has been in force since 24 December 2025, with staggered transition rules. It provides the legal basis for the new grid fee structure but does not itself set the tariff mechanics. Already implemented under the same law: the social electricity tariff, in force since April 2026 (see our social electricity tariff guide).

Adopted, in force from 1 January 2027: The actual tariff structure from 2027 is set by E-Control's grid fee framework regulation (Systemnutzungsentgelte-Grundsatzverordnung, SNE-G-V). It was issued by E-Control's Executive Board and published on 12 October 2026 as BGBl. II No. 299/2026. E-Control presented the adopted version at a press briefing the same day. As a rule, the regulation takes effect on 1 January 2027; some parts, such as the winter off-peak price, apply later.

One more thing matters for context: the regulation works in two stages. The SNE-G-V only sets the principles, meaning the structure of the future charges. The level of the charges is set by the annual tariff regulation (SNE-T-V); as of 16 October 2026, there was neither a draft nor a date. If you are searching for exact 2027 grid fee tariffs today, you will not find them: those figures simply do not exist yet.

How the capacity charge works

Today, most of the grid fee is billed by consumption (a per-kWh charge). The SNE-G-V shifts that ratio:

• 50:50 target: According to E-Control, the ratio of consumption charge (ct/kWh) to capacity charge (cents/kW per month) is to move in steps to 50:50 within three years. The regulation itself only requires the capacity share to rise gradually; it names no interim stage.
• Two-tier capacity price at grid level 7 (the level covering ordinary household connections): one monthly capacity price for the share up to 10 kW and a second one for the share above it. Both levels are only set in the tariff regulation. A transition applies first: from 1 January to 30 November 2027, metered household customers pay a single monthly capacity price per grid area, and unmetered customers pay a flat euro amount per metering point. Two-tier billing starts in principle on 1 December 2027; through an amended regulation, individual grid areas can deviate from that date within the window from 1 January 2027 to 1 July 2028 at the latest.
• Billing basis: the highest quarter-hourly power reading your household draws in a given month, which effectively requires a smart meter. At grid level 7, a minimum assessed capacity of 2 kW applies as the floor.
• Time-window discounts on the grid consumption charge: the summer off-peak price (Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis, SNAP) has existed since 2026 (see our network costs guide 2026). From 1 April to 30 September, the consumption component is reduced by 20 percent between 10am and 4pm each day. New is the winter counterpart (Winter-Nieder-Arbeitspreis, WiNAP): from 1 October to 31 March, each night from 11pm to 5am, for the first time from 1 October 2027. The size of the WiNAP reduction is set in the tariff regulation.

In practice, from 2027 it is no longer only how much electricity you use that shapes your grid fee, but also how concentrated your draw is.

What the storage exemption does not cover: single home batteries. Only system-relevant storage at grid levels 4 to 7 with at least 1 MW of bottleneck capacity can be exempted from grid fees; several units of at least 10 kW each can be pooled to reach that if they are connected to the same grid level 4 substation. The exemption is capped at 5 GW nationwide and ends after 20 years at the latest. The storage provisions (§§ 23 to 26 SNE-G-V) expire at the end of 31 December 2030. A single residential battery sits far below the 1 MW threshold.

Who pays more, who saves: what E-Control says

E-Control makes two statements about who is affected. First, total grid fee revenue does not change; it is only distributed differently across customer groups. Second, according to E-Control's website, nothing changes for an average household without high-power appliances; the press kit of 12 October 2026 says such households will tend to pay less. The official documents on the adopted version contain no percentage figures for model households. The table below therefore only shows which rule matters for which usage profile.

For feed-in, the regulation also sets this: PV systems with grid-relevant capacity of up to 15 kW whose connection incurs no cost-based share are exempt from the flat-rate share of the grid connection fee (Netzanschlussentgelt, § 18(6) SNE-G-V). Feed-in customers only pay the balancing power and grid loss charges above a capacity of 5 MW.

On the illustrative example figures currently circulating online (including 4.53 ct/kWh for the consumption component and €33.82/kW/year for the capacity component up to 10 kW): these come from a third-party industry analysis, not from a verified official E-Control document. We deliberately do not repeat them here as confirmed figures while the tariff regulation is still pending.

Flexible withdrawal and existing customers

Flexible withdrawal: At grid levels 6 and 7, part of the capacity can be treated as flexible. The grid operator may curtail that part for two periods of two hours each per day, either on a fixed schedule or, where the operator supports it technically and you request it, dynamically, set by 6am the day before. The flexible share must be at least 4 kW, and at grid level 7 at least 4 kW must remain unrestricted. The price of flexible capacity is only set in the tariff regulation; percentage figures circulating on this point are based on an illustrative assumption in the explanatory notes.

Existing customers: Existing connections at grid level 7 are first assigned at least 10 kW of grid-relevant capacity for withdrawal. The highest of three values applies: 10 kW, the contractually agreed capacity on 31 December 2026, and the average of the two highest monthly readings in 2026 (§ 34(1) SNE-G-V). There is no retroactive billing.

What does this mean for heat pumps and EV charging?

Both device groups are the ones most likely to feel the new structure, because both can draw high instantaneous power.

Heat pumps: on cold days, the compressor often runs at the same time as other high-draw appliances (water heating, oven, EV charger). That simultaneity is exactly what creates the peak load that carries more weight from 2027. A heat pump controller paired with a buffer tank, which spreads operation out over time, dampens this effect.

EV charging: the difference between an 11 kW wallbox overnight and a 22 kW or DC fast charge during the day becomes financially more noticeable under the regulation's logic. Anyone who can shift charging into the night or into the WiNAP window (1 October to 31 March, 11pm to 5am, from 1 October 2027) is at an advantage. How large that advantage is depends on the amounts in the tariff regulation.

If you want to take load-shifting further, you can combine it with a dynamic electricity tariff, which already makes power cheaper during low-demand night hours. Our dynamic electricity tariffs guide for Austria explains who it is worth it for.

Practical tips: preparing for load-shifting now

Even before the tariff regulation sets the amounts, these steps are worth taking today, because they cut grid costs and your energy price regardless of the future figures:

• Use your smart meter data. Check your grid operator's online portal to see when your own usage peaks occur. That is the data basis that becomes relevant from 2027. The quarter-hourly readings usually sit under "consumption" or "load profile" in the customer portal; in some cases you have to activate that view first.
• Stagger your heavy loads. Try not to run an EV charger and a heat pump at the same time as the cooker, tumble dryer or sauna – this already protects your fuse box today, and may protect your bill tomorrow.
• Cap your wallbox output where possible. Many wallboxes allow you to limit charging power. A slower but steadier charge lowers your peak reading without meaningfully extending the charging time.
• Check your heat pump's buffer tank. An adequately sized buffer allows the heat pump to cycle outside of peak-load periods.
• Optimise your energy price now. Grid fees are regulated and fixed – the energy price, by contrast, is the freely negotiable part of your electricity bill, regardless of which amounts the tariff regulation sets for 2027.

Grid fees are fixed and are being restructured for 2027 – the energy price, on the other hand, is the part of your bill you control directly. Check now whether a cheaper electricity provider can lower your overall bill: check electricity tariffs at durchblicker.at (ad), free and with no obligation.

What is still open

As of 16 October 2026, it is mainly the amounts that remain open: the level of the two capacity price tiers and of the consumption charge per grid area, the size of the WiNAP reduction and the price for flexible capacity. All of these are set by the annual tariff regulation (SNE-T-V), which is not yet published. It is also still open which grid areas start two-tier billing on 1 December 2027 and where the switch takes until 1 July 2028 at the latest. We will update this article once the tariff regulation is available.

The SNE-G-V only applies to electricity. For gas, E-Control continues to set grid fees by regulation, independent of your chosen supplier; the 2027 household gas grid fees have not been published as of 16 October 2026. See our gas network costs guide for Austria for the current situation.

Frequently asked questions about electricity grid fees 2027

Has the capacity charge for 2027 been adopted?

Yes. The grid fee framework regulation (SNE-G-V) was published on 12 October 2026 as BGBl. II No. 299/2026 and takes effect on 1 January 2027. The actual cent and euro amounts are only set by the tariff regulation (SNE-T-V); as of 16 October 2026 they were not yet published.

What is the difference between the ElWG and the SNE-G-V?

The ElWG (BGBl. I No. 91/2025) has been in force since 24 December 2025 and is the legal basis for the grid fee reform. The SNE-G-V is E-Control's regulation that sets the principles of the grid fees, meaning the structure of capacity charge, consumption charge and time windows. It was published as BGBl. II No. 299/2026. The amounts follow in the tariff regulation.

Who pays more under the new capacity charge?

Because the capacity charge is based on the highest quarter-hourly reading of the month, high load peaks weigh more heavily on grid costs. For an average household without high-power appliances, E-Control says nothing changes, and its press kit says such households will tend to pay less. Total grid fee revenue stays the same. There are no official percentage figures for model households for the adopted version.

Does the capacity charge affect my home battery storage?

A single home battery does not fall under the storage exemption. Only system-relevant storage of at least 1 MW bottleneck capacity at grid levels 4 to 7 can be exempted from grid fees, capped at 5 GW nationwide and for 20 years at most. A typical residential battery sits far below that threshold; the normal rules of your household connection apply to it.

What do SNAP and WiNAP mean?

SNAP stands for Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis, a summer off-peak price: from 1 April to 30 September, the grid consumption charge is reduced by 20 percent between 10am and 4pm each day. WiNAP stands for Winter-Nieder-Arbeitspreis and applies from 1 October to 31 March, each night from 11pm to 5am, for the first time from 1 October 2027. The size of the WiNAP reduction is set in the tariff regulation.

Can I avoid the new grid fees by switching electricity provider?

No. Grid fees are tied to the grid area of your address, not your electricity supplier. Switching provider only reduces the energy-price portion of your bill, not the regulated grid fee.

When does the two-tier capacity price apply?

In principle from 1 December 2027. From 1 January to 30 November 2027, metered household customers pay a single monthly capacity price per grid area. Through an amended regulation, individual grid areas can deviate from that date within the window from 1 January 2027 to 1 July 2028 at the latest; from then on, the capacity price applies to everyone. Existing connections are first assigned at least 10 kW, and there is no retroactive billing.

Where can I find the electricity grid fees currently in force for 2026?

The grid fees already in force for 2026, by federal state, based on the 2018 grid fee ordinance (2026 amendment), are summarised in our separate guide to electricity network costs by state – that is where you will find the current state-by-state table.

Conclusion

Austria's electricity grid fees get a new structure for 2027: a move away from a pure consumption charge towards one that also accounts for peak power. The legal basis is the ElWG, the principles are set by the SNE-G-V, published as BGBl. II No. 299/2026 and in force from 1 January 2027. The amounts follow with the tariff regulation. According to E-Control, total revenue stays the same, and for an average household without high-power appliances nothing changes or it tends to get cheaper. For households with an EV or heat pump, it is worth keeping an eye on your own load profile.

As of 16 October 2026. Based on the adopted SNE-G-V (BGBl. II No. 299/2026). The amounts follow with the tariff regulation; we will update this article once it is published.

Sources

• RIS: SNE-G-V, Federal Law Gazette BGBl. II No. 299/2026
• E-Control: SNE-G-V, new rules for the energy transition (with press kit of 12 October 2026)
• RIS: ElWG, Federal Law Gazette BGBl. I No. 91/2025
• Austrian Parliament: proceeding XXVIII/I/312 (ElWG)
• E-Control: system usage charges for electricity