The levy to promote green electricity in Germany will increase in 2020 by more than five percent. This was announced by the operators of the large power grids. Accordingly, the so-called EEG apportionment amounts to a good 6.76 cents per kilowatt-hour in the coming year and is thus 5.5 percent higher than this year at around 6.41 cents.
The EEG surcharge is an important component of the electricity price. It accounts for about a quarter of the costs and finances the fixed fees that green electricity producers have received to feed their electricity, regardless of the market price.
Further components of the electricity price for private customers are:
- the wholesale electricity price , which accounts for around one fifth of the retail price ,
- the levies for the maintenance and expansion of electricity grids , which account for around a quarter of the retail price and book
- other levies and levies
- and the profit margins of the electricity producers.
The EEG surcharge will probably not be the only price driver: The network charges will rise according to first forecasts in the coming year. So far, according to an analysis of the consumer portal Check24, the new network charges for 68 percent of service areas were published. On average, they rise by nine percent in 2020, according to figures to date.
According to an estimate by the consumer portal Verivox, wholesale prices in 2020 should also be above the current level. Consumers in Germany have to adjust again to electricity price increases, the portal said.
In principle, electricity suppliers are free to pass on the rising fees to their customers - and if so, how much of it. Purely arithmetically, the increases result in the following additional costs, which are distributed over the year:
- A single household with an annual consumption of 2000 kilowatt hours would pay around seven euros more for the EEG surcharge and 14 euros more for network charges.
- For a three-person household with an annual consumption of 3500 kilowatt hours, it would be 12.28 euros more for the EEG surcharge and 24.50 euros more for network charges.
- A four-person household with an annual consumption of 5,000 kilowatt hours would incur additional costs of 18 euros for the EEG surcharge and 35 euros for network fees.
Consumers in Germany pay the highest electricity prices in Europe, in addition to the Danes. As part of its climate package, the Federal Government plans to reduce the price of electricity, in return for an introduction to CO2 pricing in the transport and building sectors.
Thus, from 2021, the levy to cover the costs of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) is to be reduced by 0.25 cents per kilowatt-hour in a first step and then further reduced. The coalition wants to relieve especially families and small and medium-sized companies.
The four German transmission system operators 50Hertz, Amprion, Tennet and TransnetBW cited the development of the so-called EEG account as one reason for the higher levy. Although this was on 30 September with 2.2 billion euros in the plus. But since the account balance is about 40 percent lower than in the previous year, this would lead to an increase in the EEG-surcharge for the year 2020.
