Against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about electricity price trends, the Bundesnetzagentur has modelled industrial electricity prices and publishes these monthly on its SMARD energy market data platform under Energy data compact. A distinction is made between companies with and without eligibility for reductions. Companies with a high and constant level of electricity consumption, known as “permanent load customers”, often fulfil the legal requirements to claim discounts that may reduce or completely remove cost components such as network tariffs, surcharges, concession fees and electricity taxes. Companies not fulfilling these requirements, by contrast, cannot receive the reductions.

The modelled industrial electricity price for companies without reductions was an average of 16.77 cents per kilowatt hour in 2024, well below the level of 2021, which was 21.77 ct/kWh. This trend is largely due to the end of the surcharge under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which has more than offset the rise in procurement costs compared to 2021. The average industrial electricity price for companies without reductions was 35.70 ct/kWh in 2022 and 19.63 ct/kWh in 2023.
In January 2025, the industrial electricity price for companies without reductions was 17.99 ct/kWh, higher than the 2024 average, due to the continual rise in procurement prices starting in April 2024.

 

For industrial companies eligible for reductions in network tariffs, electricity tax, concession fees and/or surcharges, the modelled industrial electricity price in 2024 averaged 10.47 ct/kWh. This figure is just under the level in 2021 (10.94 ct/kWh), but well above the level in 2020 (5.92 ct/kWh), which was the year before the large price leaps that occurred during the energy price crisis. However, the price has dropped significantly from the peaks of 2022 and 2023 (29.01 ct/kWh and 14.23 ct/kWh respectively).

In January 2025, the industrial price for electricity for companies with reductions was higher than the average for 2024 at 11.69 ct/kWh. A constant rise in procurement costs was the reason behind this, too.

 

There are two main causes of the difference in price trends for companies with and without reductions.

• Removal of surcharges and levies: There have been changes to various surcharges and levies since 2021. The EEG surcharge, for example, was removed. As a result, electricity costs have fallen for all companies, providing a particular benefit to those companies that are not eligible for reductions.
• Rise in procurement costs: The energy price crisis pushed up wholesale electricity prices. For companies without reductions, this rise was offset by the removal of the EEG surcharge. For companies with reductions, which were already paying lower surcharges and levies, the higher procurement costs have a greater effect since they make up a greater share of the total costs.

The trends described here are also reflected in the industrial electricity price index, which shows the monthly price changes. It reveals that the electricity price without reductions in January 2025 was nearly the same as in the base month, January 2021 (January 2025: 100.53). The price for companies with reductions in January 2025, on the other hand, was far higher than the reference figure from January 2021 (January 2025: 165.45).

 

More information on the electricity price modelling, the requirements and the extent of reductions for industrial customers may be found in the user guide.