Electricity tariff models

Electricity tariff models

Electricity tariff models describe how electricity consumption is billed — in other words, according to which pricing structure and contractual rules a company purchases electricity from an energy supplier or direct provider. Choosing the right tariff model has a major impact on the economic performance of self-consumption, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and flexibility use.

How it works

While households usually pay simple consumption-based electricity prices, tariff models for commercial and industrial customers are more complex.

They typically consist of:

 • a consumption price (ct/kWh)
 • a performance price (€/kW) for peak demand
 • various grid fees, levies, and charges

Modern tariff models increasingly include dynamic electricity prices linked to exchange market prices.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) make it possible to actively optimize these tariffs — for example by charging when electricity prices are low.

Typical tariff types

 • Fixed-price tariff: constant electricity price over the entire contract term
 • Load-profile-based tariff: price calculation based on measured consumption patterns (e.g. RLM)
 • Performance-price tariff: additional billing based on the highest 15-minute peak load
 • Dynamic tariff: consumption price varies according to exchange market prices (e.g. hourly)
 • Tariff with reduced grid fees: e.g. through atypical grid usage or flexibility measures

Key figures

 • Consumption price (ct/kWh): main cost factor when consumption is relatively constant
 • Performance price (€/kW): key cost driver for short but high demand peaks
 • Grid fees / levies (%): can account for up to 40% of the electricity bill
 • Price volatility: basis for arbitrage using storage or load shifting
 • Tariff compatibility: can be combined with PPAs or service-based models

Summary

Choosing the right electricity tariff model is a key lever for optimizing corporate energy costs. It affects not only ongoing operating costs, but also investment decisions relating to PV systems, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), load management, and electricity procurement.

Companies benefit most from tailored tariff models when these are actively managed and combined with their own energy systems.