Network Costs for Gas to Rise Sharply Again in 2026

There is a relaxation in electricity network fees. After the record increase this year, they will only rise slightly next year, on average by 1.1 percent, and in five federal states, they will even decrease. Due to the photovoltaic boom, E-Control is introducing a "sun discount" of 20 percent for the first time between April 1 and September 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The regulatory authority responsible for energy, E-Control, determines each year how much network operators are allowed to charge per kilowatt hour (kWh). The exact fees vary depending on the network operator and may change slightly until the announcement. The final regulations are usually published in December and come into effect on January 1.

On January 1, 2025, the network fees for households increased by an average of 23.1 percent for electricity and 16.6 percent for gas. Since the beginning of the year, energy charges have also been fully charged again after the end of the gas crisis, causing energy bills to rise by several hundred euros this year and contributing to the currently high inflation.

Electricity consumption has stabilized after the energy crisis

For electricity, network fees are expected to decrease slightly in Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Vienna, and Styria, and significantly in Salzburg by around 9 percent. They will rise the most in Lower Austria by 6.9 percent, in Tyrol by 11.2 percent, and in Burgenland by 16.1 percent.

E-Control board member Wolfgang Urbantschitsch mentioned two reasons in a conversation with APA why electricity network fees will not continue to rise in 2026. On one hand, less electricity has been saved, which has stabilized consumption. On the other hand, additional revenues, such as from cross-border electricity transit, have dampened costs.

Gas phase-out drives network fees in the coming years

For gas, however, the consumed quantities continued to decrease, which means that network costs have to be distributed over fewer kilowatt hours. The phase-out of gas and the higher winter temperatures due to climate change will also lead to decreasing gas consumption in the coming years, predicted Urbantschitsch.

The E-Control board announced that as an authority, they will put pressure on network operators to adjust costs to declining revenues and to downsize the gas network. However, it is counterproductive that there is still a legal obligation to connect.

The gas network charges are also rising because Austria is no longer a gas transit country since the Russian war against Ukraine and is now, so to speak, left with the costs of the pipelines.

In Four Federal States, Gas Network Tariffs Increase by 25 Percent or More

The gas network tariffs are rising the most in Carinthia. For an average household customer with an annual gas consumption of 15,000 kWh, this 35 percent increase in the southernmost federal state means additional costs of around 142 euros per year, which is almost 12 euros per month. In Lower Austria, the gas network charges increase by 30 percent, in Styria by 27.7 percent, and in Burgenland by 25 percent. The fees increase the least in Upper Austria, namely by only 6.5 percent.

While a reduction of the gas network is pending, massive investments are being made in the electricity network as part of the energy transition. To better align electricity consumption and generation, E-Control is introducing a new "Summer Sun Tariff." With a 20 percent discount on network charges, network-friendly behavior is to be rewarded, thereby slightly reducing the need for network expansion.

"Sun Discount" is Automatically Applied When Quarter-Hour Values are Activated

It is the first time that E-Control has mandated network tariffs that vary over time due to the abundance of photovoltaic electricity. The reduced charge is automatically applied to electricity consumers, "provided the network operators have the necessary detailed data," as stated in the draft regulation. In practice, this likely means that customers must have activated the quarter-hour values in the network operator's online portal.

In the past, there have already been lower network charges at certain times. However, these tariffs for summer and winter, day and night, have lost their purpose over time and will be dissolved with the 2026 regulation.

Large industrial customers can also save money on electricity network charges from 2026 if they are flexible in their consumption. For the time being, this is limited to customers on network levels 3 and 4.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.