Consumer association calls for more transparency on grid fees

The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV) has called for more transparency in the composition of power grid fees. “Although the fees are regulated by the state, their composition is not comprehensible to consumers or even experts and is therefore not transparent,” it said in a press release. The VZBV published a report analysing the current situation and calling for a reform by amending the energy industry law (Energiewirtschaftsgesetz). Part of this could be the publication of data in easy-to-understand form on the website of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), writes the association.

Experts have long called for a reform of power grid fees, which make up about a quarter of household electricity prices. Germany’s shift to a renewable energy future requires massive investments into the country’s power network. The costs are borne by consumers, who pay a grid fee included in their power bills. A rapid rise of these network usage charges in recent years has sparked a controversy over the methods used to calculate the costs and their distribution.