Berlin households will be relieved by federal subsidies for the transmission grids
Expected network charges for 2026
15.10.2025
At the beginning of October, the four German transmission system operators (TSOs) published the expected standardised national transmission system charges for the coming year. These are, on average, 2.86 cents per kilowatt-hour (previously 6.65 ct/kWh) and thus 57 percent lower than the previous year’s figures. A subsidy from the federal government provides significant cost relief at the transmission grid level, which is reflected in the noticeable reduction in grid fees. The basis for the federal subsidy is the subsidy of 6.5 billion euros agreed by the federal government, which is financed from the Climate and Transformation Fund and enshrined in law in the new Section 24c EnWG (Energy Industry Law). At present, the statutory regulation for the federal subsidy is still pending. The TSOs' provisional grid fees for 2026 are therefore still subject to change.
The network charges levied by the TSO 50Hertz are an essential component of Stromnetz Berlin’s network charge calculations. Following the announcement by the TSOs on their adjustment of the fees for 2026, the Berlin distribution system operator has also calculated its expected grid fees for 2026 and published them today.
According to the report, Berlin households can expect a significant reduction in grid fees for 2026. Nevertheless, Stromnetz Berlin is, of course, continuing to make extensive investments in the expansion and maintenance of Berlin's grid infrastructure in order to meet the growing demands of the energy transition. As part of the grid fee calculation, Stromnetz Berlin is passing the reduced costs of the upstream grid and lower costs for the procurement of energy to compensate for losses to Berliners in full.
In concrete terms, this means that the network charges for Berlin household customers in 2026 will continue to be made up of an unchanged annual standing charge of 39.70 euros and a significantly lower unit price of 8.88 cents per kilowatt-hour (previously 11.86 ct/kWh). The annual cost of metering for a modern meter (single-tariff meter) remains unchanged at 25.00 euros. For a Berlin household with an annual electricity consumption of 1,950 kilowatt hours (kWh), this means a total reduction of around 20 per cent, or roughly 58 euros per year.
Grid charges in the Berlin area
In the area surrounding Berlin, grid fees will also fall significantly, as not only will the federal subsidy for transmission grid fees take effect there, but the regulations for taking into account the costs of high feed-in from renewable energies will also apply in the new year. This will further harmonise the grid fees of the distribution grid operators, which vary greatly in some cases. The legislator is thus additionally relieving the burden on consumers in regions that were previously more heavily burdened and in which a particularly large number of renewable energy generation plants are connected.
Network charges make up about one-quarter of the electricity price
Network charges are part of the electricity price and are levied equally via the electricity rates of all the suppliers active in Berlin. On average, they make up about one-quarter of the electricity price. Network charges are made up of the costs for transporting electricity, costs for operating the meters, meter reading and billing, and the cost of the upstream transmission system. The amount of the network charges is determined in accordance with the specifications of the Electricity Grid User Charge Ordinance (StromNEV) and the Ordinance on the Regulation of Incentives (ARegV).
Under Section 20(1) of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG), Stromnetz Berlin GmbH must publish the following year's charges for grid access online by 15 October of each year. The expected network charges are now available at www.stromnetz.berlin/entgelte. Stromnetz Berlin has now informed all suppliers and customers of the adjustment of network charges.