Autor
trawa
Almost 40 ct/kWh – such would have been the energy price of the medium-sized textile manufacturer in the years 2023-25, if the family business had not changed its energy procurement. There were great doubts as to whether changing energy suppliers and adopting a new procurement model (SPOT! Tranches?!) would not be too risky. Why try something new when the old fixed-price model has proven itself?
Today, in mid-2025, everyone at the company agrees – the effort was worth it. Even more: The engagement with the topic of energy has revealed further savings potential. Particularly with network fees and state levies, a lot of money remained unused – due to ignorance or the assumption that it was "all far too complicated and burdensome".
Some purchasers or managing directors will recognize themselves in the description above – to help you avoid unnecessary costs, we explain how your energy price, the so-called industrial electricity price, is composed and where concrete savings are possible.
What is industrial electricity and how is it composed?
You receive industrial electricity when your annual electricity consumption exceeds 100,000 kWh. Unlike private customers, you receive a supply contract tailored to your company. The costs vary depending on the size of the company, electricity consumption, and location.
Your energy price consists of three main components:
Electricity procurement and distribution costs – This is where you can save the most. These cover the costs for purchasing the electricity amounts at the EEX energy exchange as well as the distribution margins of the energy supplier.
Network fees – Regionally very different, but certainly influenceable. They serve to cover operating costs and the expansion of the grid for the integration of wind and solar energy.
State levies, surcharges, and taxes – Partially reducible through exemptions and special regulations for energy-intensive companies.
Source: Strom-Report, BDEW, BNetzA
How have costs developed?
The energy crisis brought dramatic changes: In 2022, the industrial electricity price reached its peak of 43.20 ct/kWh. In 2024, it fell to 16.99 ct/kWh – a decrease of 7.47 ct/kWh compared to 2023.
The critical change: Previously, state levies drove up costs (2020: 9.08 ct/kWh), today it is electricity procurement and network fees that exploded during the energy crisis. The burden of levies dropped due to the abolition of the EEG surcharge and the reduction of the electricity tax to just 1.48 ct/kWh – to strengthen the competitiveness of the German economy.
For many medium-sized companies, total costs remained similar, but the composition shifted completely: away from state levies, towards higher procurement costs and network fees.
Source: BDEW
Source: BDEW
Where you can save money concretely
1. Electricity procurement – your biggest leverage
Starting from an annual consumption of 100,000 kWh, you can already realize significant savings through individual procurement strategies. Instead of traditional fixed-price procurement, often other approaches are significantly more advantageous:
Spot market procurement for flexible companies – You buy electricity at current daily stock market prices
Structured procurement for optimal risk minimization – Gradual purchasing over several points in time
Partially dynamic tariffs for the optimal balance of predictability and flexibility
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) – Direct contracts with wind and solar parks for long-term price security
Important factors for your decision:
Your company size and specific energy needs
Willingness to take risks and flexibility requirements of your production
Sustainability goals and compliance requirements
Existing market knowledge and internal capacities
Beware of offers: Many energy offers do not transparently break down how procurement costs are composed. Not only are the costs for procuring electricity amounts at the EEX energy exchange often included, but high distribution margins are also hidden. Comparing and targeted inquiries are always worth it.
2. Network fees – regionally different, but influenceable
Unlike taxes or the energy price at the EEX, there are no uniform nationwide network fees in Germany. The regional differences can be considerable – they can amount to several cents per kWh and thus represent a significant cost factor.
What are network fees for? They primarily cover the operating costs of the network operators as well as the costs of maintaining and further expanding the network infrastructure to enable the further integration of wind and solar energy. The more renewable energies need to be integrated into the grid, the higher the network fees typically become.
Who determines the network fees? The height of the network fees is proposed by the network operators and is approved by the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), a governmental authority. The BNetzA ensures that the network fees are cost-based and not excessive – in accordance with the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) and the Incentive Regulation Ordinance (ARegV). For high-voltage networks, the transmission system operators (TSOs) TenneT, Amprion, 50Hertz, or TransnetBW calculate the network fees, for the medium and low voltage area, the respective regional distribution system operators (DSOs).
Your leeway: Unlike the electricity supplier, you do not have a free choice of the network operator – there are so-called "natural" monopolies here. You are obliged to use the infrastructure of the local network operators at the specified prices.
However, there are discounts and special regulations for energy-intensive industrial companies to strengthen their competitiveness. These are often dependent on the consumption or usage behavior of the customer. Crucial: The exemption from certain levies does not occur automatically but must be applied for each time.
3. State levies – use exemptions
The state imposes taxes, levies, and surcharges on electricity consumption, which serve various purposes. Industrial electricity users can be exempted from some of these levies under certain conditions:
Electricity tax
The electricity tax is a federal tax. Originally, it is part of the eco tax and is calculated on the consumption of electrical energy. It was first introduced in 1999 as part of the ecological tax reform. It serves to finance the federal budget and as a fiscal policy steering instrument for reduced energy consumption. However, not all companies pay the same tax rate. Producing companies with high electricity consumption as well as public transport companies pay less. For them, there are reliefs in the form of partial refunds (peak balancing regulation) or reduced tax rates, e.g., for rail transport. Likewise, renewable energy plants or cogeneration plants may be exempted from the electricity tax.
Concession fee
The concession fee is paid by energy suppliers to municipalities for using public streets, sidewalks, and areas for power lines. Energy suppliers pass this on to end consumers through the electricity bill. The height of the concession fee is determined by the Concession Fee Ordinance (KAV). It varies depending on the size of cities and municipalities as well as the respective grid voltage levels. Special contract customers, such as large consumers in industry and commerce, pay reduced rates or are exempted from the concession fee.
KWK surcharge
Under certain conditions, electricity generated in a cogeneration plant and consumed on the same site (self-consumption) is completely or partially exempt from the surcharge.
Offshore surcharge
The offshore surcharge is based on the Energy Industry Act (EnWG, §17f) and serves to finance the network connection costs of offshore wind farms. The offshore surcharge is intended to secure network issues, e.g., in the event of delays in connecting the wind farms to the grid. The transmission system operators (TSOs) recalculate the height of the surcharge annually. It varies depending on the electricity consumption of the end consumers. Particularly energy-intensive companies may receive reductions under certain conditions.
§ 19 StromNEV surcharge
The StromNEV is the Electricity Network Fee Ordinance. The § 19 StromNEV surcharge covers the costs of the network operators when granting discounts on network fees for energy-intensive companies. Thus, companies in the chemical, metal processing, or paper industry pay significantly less electricity costs due to individually reduced network fees, as they take in a lot of electricity and can stabilize the grid. Electricity consumers balance the reductions in network fees through the § 19 StromNEV surcharge.
In short, even if not all levies can be avoided, there are still many opportunities for industrial electricity customers to at least reduce the burden of levies.
Conclusion: More control over your energy costs
You have more influence over your energy costs than you might think. Electricity procurement is no longer a marginal issue – but a real competitive advantage. The times when energy procurement was a minor topic are over. Today, professional electricity purchasing is a decisive competitive factor.
The key findings:
Electricity procurement offers the greatest savings potential – often up to 10% compared to traditional fixed-price offers
Use exemptions – systematic examination is worthwhile
Regional differences in network fees – correctly assess location factors
Sustainability becomes a cost advantage – green electricity is not automatically more expensive
To find the industrial electricity tariff suitable for your company and to benefit from discounts, please contact our service team. We are happy to assist you!
trawa optimizes your electricity procurement and helps find the industrial electricity contract suitable for your company based on your individual supply strategy. Through our tailored electricity portfolio, our AI-optimized tariff, and our energy management solution, we support your sustainability goals. We also mediate direct contracts with solar and wind parks, support you in independent electricity generation and use, and are your reliable partner by your side when it comes to a sustainable green energy supply for your company.
