Leistungspreis from 2027: Austria's monthly demand charge

If your business already pays a Leistungspreis for electricity, the Netzbetreiber will bill it month by month from 1 January 2027. The quarter-hour with the highest demand you drew in each calendar month at the Hauptzählpunkt then sets the charge.^[1] For households and small businesses without demand metering, the peak-based Leistungspreis comes later: on Netzebene 7, according to E-Control, as a rule from 1 December 2027, with dates varying by Netzbereich.^[2]

The basis is the Systemnutzungsentgelte-Grundsatzverordnung (SNE-G-V) issued by E-Control's Vorstand and published on 12 October 2026 (BGBl. II Nr. 299/2026). It sets out how Netzentgelte are calculated from 2027. How much a kilowatt costs is set by a separate tariff regulation, which had not been published as of 25 October 2026. Euro amounts per kW circulating online come neither from the SNE-G-V nor from its explanatory notes.

One quarter-hour per month

Billing is per calendar month, based on the "highest monthly quarter-hour demand value" at the Hauptzählpunkt, the Zählpunkt where your installation meets the public grid.^[1] If a business draws 50 kWh in one quarter-hour, that equals 200 kW. If the highest quarter-hour in March falls on a Monday at 6:45, because ventilation and production start up at the same time, that value applies to the whole of March. Ersatzwerte from the Netzbetreiber count like measured values.

From 2027 the Netznutzungsentgelt consists of a Leistungspreis and an Arbeitspreis, and according to the regulation the ratio is to be "raised step by step in favour of the Leistungspreis".^[3] E-Control's explanatory notes name a target of a 50 % demand share within three years, across all Netzebenen. On Netzebenen 3 to 6 that value is already reached on average; on Netzebene 7 it is just under 29 %.^[4] On Netzebene 7 in particular, the monthly peak will carry more weight in your Netzentgelt.

What changes for businesses with measured demand

Until the end of 2026 the Leistungspreis is as a rule assessed over a year, as the average of the twelve monthly maxima.^[5] Each monthly peak already counts for one twelfth today. From 2027 each month is billed on its own. On Netzebenen 1 to 6 you pay for at least 20 % of the contracted netzwirksame Leistung.^[6] A business on Netzebene 6 therefore pays for at least a fifth of its contracted demand even in a quiet month.

On Netzebene 7 a single price per kW applies during the transition, as a rule until 30 November 2027. After that the monthly Leistungspreis has two tiers, one price up to 10 kW and a second for the share above.^[7] From then on a 2 kW floor applies too: if you push your peak below 2 kW, you still pay for 2 kW.^[6]

When it reaches households and small businesses

Connections on Netzebene 7 without demand metering pay a flat amount per Zählpunkt from 1 January to 30 November 2027; their peak plays no role yet.^[7] The Netzbetreiber report by 11 November 2026 whether they are ready for the new billing. The transition can then move per Netzbereich, and according to the explanatory notes it comes on 1 July 2028 at the latest.^[2]

For property managers this means: once the transition applies, two buildings with the same annual consumption can pay different Netzentgelte if one of them has higher monthly peaks, for example from charging stations in the underground car park.

What the 2026 peaks do

One rule already affects the current year. For connections on Netzebene 7 built or contracted before 1 January 2027, the Netzentgelt is determined by the highest of three values: 10 kW, the netzwirksame Leistung contracted as of 31 December 2026, or the average of the two highest monthly peaks of calendar year 2026.^[8]

This value is a demand figure for your connection. The regulation ties the monthly Leistungspreis to that month's peak.^[1] Whether the reference value sets a lower limit on the billed demand on Netzebene 7, the text of the regulation leaves open. The tariff regulation or the Netzbetreiber's billing practice is likely to settle it. According to the explanatory notes, the rule is meant to avoid abrupt jumps in charges and back-billing of the flat Netzanschlussentgelt, and the Netzbetreiber is to inform you of the value once reliable data is available, at least in the web portal or on the grid invoice.

Every connection has its own peak

The Hauptzählpunkt is a single Zählpunkt per energy direction, not a sum over several Zählpunkte.^[9] If a site has three grid connections, there are three monthly peaks and three Leistungspreise.

If you add up the Lastgänge of all Zählpunkte at a site and take the maximum, you get the site's coincident peak. That figure appears on no grid invoice. For the Leistungspreis each Zählpunkt counts on its own, and its peak can fall on a different day from the site's.

Where your peaks come from

You can only find a monthly peak in quarter-hour values. A monthly invoice for 38,000 kWh says nothing about whether the maximum was 90 kW or 160 kW. Since the ElWG, Viertelstundenwerte are the standard resolution for smart meters. Our guide to the load profile shows how to request a Zählpunkt's Lastgang and find its highest quarter-hours.

Common causes are start-up peaks in the morning, short outliers far above the second-highest quarter-hour, and coincidence on certain days, such as heating and production on cold Mondays. If you lower the highest quarter-hour, the second-highest becomes the new monthly peak. If the peak is 180 kW and the next one 172 kW, smoothing the outlier gains 8 kW. If ten quarter-hours sit between 170 and 180 kW, only changing the pattern behind them helps.

Once a peak is set, it applies to the whole month. You can influence next month, and the same month last year is the best guide to it.

Lastspitzen in energiedaten.at

Once the Zählpunkt's holder consents, the Netzbetreiber delivers the Viertelstundenwerte daily via EDA to energiedaten.at. The Lastspitzen report shows the highest quarter-hour demand in kW per Zählpunkt and month, with Bezug and Einspeisung shown separately. Zählpunkte are not summed, because every connection has its own peak. Each row names the Zählpunkt. Gaps and provisional estimates are marked, and the export comes as CSV or XLSX.

The "Power" view of the energy analysis shows exactly when a peak occurred, with the highest quarter-hours and their timestamps. Because yesterday's values are available today, it is a tool for planning next month.

Lastspitzen is marked as a preview. Both reports are part of the Erweiterte Analyse, included from the Plus plan and bookable as an add-on on the Light plan. You can compare the plans on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

What will a kW of demand cost from 2027?

That is not settled yet. The SNE-G-V only sets the method; the amounts per Netzbereich and Netzebene come with E-Control's tariff regulation.

Should I still lower my peaks in 2026?

That cannot be fully answered yet. The regulation ties the 2027 monthly Leistungspreis to the 2027 monthly peaks. On Netzebene 7, however, the 2026 peaks feed into your connection's reference value, and the text of the regulation leaves open whether that value sets a lower limit on the billed demand from 2027.

Where does the Leistungspreis appear on my electricity bill?

Under the Netzentgelte. The Netzbetreiber bills the Leistungspreis as part of the Netznutzungsentgelt, together with the Arbeitspreis.^[3] For businesses with measured demand it appears there per calendar month from 2027, assessed on that month's highest quarter-hour.^[1]

How are Netzentgelte calculated from 2027?

The SNE-G-V sets the method, and E-Control's tariff regulation sets the amounts per Netzbereich and Netzebene. The Netznutzungsentgelt consists of a Leistungspreis and an Arbeitspreis, and the Leistungspreis share rises step by step.^[3] The Netzbetreiber assesses the Leistungspreis per calendar month on the highest quarter-hour at the Hauptzählpunkt.^[1] On Netzebene 7 without demand metering, a flat amount per Zählpunkt applies, as a rule until 30 November 2027.^[7]

[1] SNE-G-V, BGBl. II Nr. 299/2026, § 3(1)–(4): billing per calendar month based on the highest monthly quarter-hour demand value at the Hauptzählpunkt; Ersatzwerte, calculated values, pro-rating.

[2] SNE-G-V § 6(3b), § 7(4b): Netzbetreiber report by 11 November 2026, change per Netzbereich between 1 January 2027 and 30 June 2028. E-Control, explanatory notes on the SNE-G-V (October 2026): transition "grundsätzlich ab 1. Dezember 2027", "spätestens jedoch mit 1. Juli 2028".

[3] SNE-G-V § 5(1): Netznutzungsentgelt made up of Leistungspreis and Arbeitspreis, raised step by step in favour of the Leistungspreis.

[4] E-Control, explanatory notes on § 5 SNE-G-V (October 2026): target 50 % / 50 % within three years; demand share on Netzebenen 3–6 at 50 % on average, Netzebene 7 just under 29 %.

[5] ElWOG 2010 § 52(1): Leistungspreis based on one year, arithmetic mean of the monthly measured highest quarter-hour demand; repealed at the end of 30 December 2026. SNE-V 2018 § 5: Leistungspreis on Netzebene 7 only with measured demand.

[6] SNE-G-V § 6(1) and (3): Leistungspreis as billing-relevant demand times monthly Leistungspreis; minimum assessment basis 20 % (Netzebenen 1–6) or 2 kW (Netzebene 7, Kleinstanschlüsse excepted).

[7] SNE-G-V § 6(2) and (3a), § 7(4a): two-tier monthly Leistungspreis on Netzebene 7 with the threshold at 10 kW; transition 1 January to 30 November 2027 with a flat amount per Zählpunkt for unmetered customers and a single price per kW for the others.

[8] SNE-G-V § 34(1)–(2): reference value for existing Netzebene 7 connections. E-Control, explanatory notes on § 34: avoiding jumps in charges and back-billing, Netzbetreiber's duty to inform.

[9] SNE-G-V § 2(1) no. 6: Hauptzählpunkt as the only Zählpunkt of the customer installation per energy flow direction, provided it includes no billing points.

As of 25 October 2026. The tariff regulation with the 2027 amounts, and any shift of the Netzebene 7 transition, are still pending. We will update this post once they are published.