ElWG April 2026: Dynamic Tariffs, SNAP, and New Rules

From 1 April 2026, the second major tranche of the ElWG took effect — under § 188 para. 2 ElWG (BGBl. I No. 91/2025). Following the foundational provisions of December 2025, tariffs, switching processes, consumption information, and consumer protection now become more concrete.

In brief

Since 1 April 2026, the following rules are in effect under the ElWG:

• Dynamic tariffs: End customers with a smart meter have the right to dynamic pricing. Suppliers with 25,000+ metering points must offer such products.
• Faster switching: Supplier and aggregator switches must complete technically within 24 hours.
• Consumption and information obligations: Monthly consumption information in certain scenarios, annual reporting requirements.
• Supplier of last resort: Clearer rules for when a supplier fails or exits.
• Supported price: Eligible households receive electricity at a supported tariff (6 ct/kWh for up to 2,900 kWh per year).

On the grid-fee side, the Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis (SNAP) also takes effect in this timeframe. Legally, SNAP is not part of the ElWG itself but is regulated under the System Usage Charges Regulation.

What the April package covers in detail

Dynamic tariffs

End customers with a smart meter have the right to a supply contract with dynamic energy prices (§ 22). Suppliers with more than 25,000 metering points must offer such products.^[1] Smaller suppliers may do so, but are not required to.

Dynamic tariffs come with additional requirements:

• Before signing a contract, suppliers must inform customers about opportunities, risks, and any additional costs.
• The customer's consent must be given explicitly.
• By definition (§ 6 Z 101), prices must reflect spot market prices — at least Day-Ahead — in hourly or quarter-hourly intervals.

Dynamic tariffs are moving from concept to market product. Offerings are still limited in practice, but the regulatory framework is in place.

Faster switching processes

From 1 April, tighter timelines apply to switching suppliers or aggregators. The technical switching process must not exceed 24 hours. Shorter response times also apply to communication between market participants.

The goal: a more fluid market with fewer switching barriers. Operational requirements for master-data quality and process automation increase as a result — particularly for suppliers.

Consumption and information obligations

Suppliers and grid operators must provide consumption information more frequently and in a more structured format:

• Monthly consumption and billing information in certain scenarios
• Annual information obligations towards end customers

This affects both the content (what is reported) and the format (how it is prepared). Consumers should gain a better overview of their electricity consumption. The obligation to prepare this information falls on suppliers and grid operators.

Supplier of last resort and supported price

Two further elements of the April package address consumer protection:

Supplier of last resort (Auffangversorgung): The rules for situations where a supplier fails or exits the market are defined more clearly. The regulatory authority appoints a supplier of last resort through a competitive tendering process (§§ 31, 33) — this is a supplier, not the grid operator. The grid operator's role is limited to informing affected customers and assigning their metering points to the appointed supplier.

Supported price (gestützter Preis): Eligible households — those exempt from the ORF broadcasting fee under the ORF-Beitrags-Gesetz 2024 (§ 36 para. 2) — are entitled to electricity at a supported tariff. The regulation provides for 6 cents per kWh for up to 2,900 kWh per year.^[2]

Both topics are primarily consumer-protection measures and affect businesses only tangentially.

SNAP: The Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis

SNAP is not part of the ElWG but is regulated under the System Usage Charges Regulation. It falls within the same timeframe, however, and complements the broader picture.

The Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis applies to withdrawal quantities at grid level 7, provided those quantities are measured electronically and read by the grid operator.^[3] In practice, reduced grid charges apply for electricity consumed during certain time windows.

SNAP creates a financial incentive to shift loads in time. The prerequisite is quarter-hourly data — smart meter data that shows when electricity was consumed.

For a deeper look at load shifting and consumption patterns:

• Consumption analysis: 5 patterns in quarter-hourly data
• Reducing electricity costs: Why businesses should make their consumption visible first

The April package in context

The ElWG does not take effect all at once, but in several phases. The April package is the second tranche:

The April package builds out the commercial and consumer-protection framework. The structural market changes — new roles, new trading models, quarter-hourly data at scale — follow in the next phases.

For a deeper look at the individual topics:

• Background: ElWG and quarter-hourly values in Austria
• Guide: Smart meter data in Austria
• In practice: How data moves from the smart meter into your system

What this means for businesses working with energy data

The obligations of the April package target electricity suppliers and grid operators. For businesses that process energy data in other capacities — energy service providers, facility management, software providers — the obligations do not change, but the context does:

• Dynamic tariffs create a market for time-variable electricity products. As prices depend more on when electricity is consumed, the value of quarter-hourly data increases.
• SNAP creates a concrete financial incentive for load shifting — and therefore for access to time-resolved consumption data. For businesses with sites at grid level 7, this is already relevant today.
• More structured information obligations raise the requirements for the underlying data. For businesses that prepare consumption data or supply it to other market participants, data quality becomes somewhat more important.

The bigger drivers lie in the next phases: the shift to quarter-hourly values as the default (January 2027), new market roles and P2P contracts for the first time (October 2026) will have broader effects than the April package.

energiedaten.at delivers smart meter data from across Austria in a single consistent format — via API, webhook, or CSV. For businesses that depend on reliable consumption data.

Frequently asked questions

What entered into force under the ElWG on 1 April 2026?

Rules on dynamic tariffs, faster supplier and aggregator switching, supplier-of-last-resort arrangements, the supported price for eligible households, and additional consumption and information obligations. Most obligations target electricity suppliers and grid operators.

What does the April package mean for businesses working with energy data?

The direct obligations fall on suppliers and grid operators. For other businesses, the context shifts: dynamic tariffs and SNAP make time-resolved consumption data more important over time. The bigger changes come with quarter-hourly values as the default (January 2027), new market roles and P2P contracts (October 2026).

What role does SNAP play?

SNAP is not part of the ElWG but is regulated under the System Usage Charges Regulation. It creates a financial incentive to shift loads into certain time windows. Prerequisite: withdrawal at grid level 7, measured electronically. Quarter-hourly data is required.

What are the next important dates under the ElWG?

October 2026 transitions existing energy communities (EEG/BEG) into the new ElWG framework — with an expanded legal basis including the Organisator role, supplier obligations, and Nahbereich grid-fee reductions for BEG — and introduces peer-to-peer contracts and new market roles (Aggregator). January 2027 makes quarter-hourly data the standard for nearly all smart meters and introduces a new grid-fee system.

[1] ElWG, BGBl. I No. 91/2025, § 22: Right to dynamic tariffs and offer obligation for suppliers with more than 25,000 metering points.

[2] ElWG, BGBl. I No. 91/2025, §§ 36–40: Supported price for eligible households.

[3] System Usage Charges Regulation 2018, BGBl. II No. 398/2017, § 2 Z 9 and § 5 para. 1b: Sommer-Nieder-Arbeitspreis.

[4] energiegemeinschaften.gv.at, "Changes for existing energy communities": Existing GEA/EEG/BEG transition to the new system upon entry into force of ElWG §§ 65–72.