Austria: Household Electricity Network Charges Projected to Fall 3.6% in 2027, Saving About €24 a Year Under the New Tariff Structure
Austrian households may see some relief on their electricity bills: the Federal Ministry for Economy and Energy announced on October 29 that calculations by the independent regulator E-Control indicate household electricity network-use and network-loss charges will fall by an Austrian average of about 3.6% in 2027 under the "Billigstromgesetz" (Affordable Electricity Act) reforms, worth relief of about €15 per household per year.
Under the new tariff structure, the reduction for an average household could reach 5.7%, or about €24 per year. The corresponding draft ordinance has been sent out for consultation. Network charges had risen by more than 20% in 2025; targeted use of regulatory-account funds limited the 2026 increase to about 1%, making 2027 the first year of a renewed decline. About €450 million is available for 2027–2029 to damp network costs.
The federal government's law created a brake on network costs, lengthened depreciation periods for network components and set legal conditions for more efficient network use; the concrete charges and the use of reserves are set annually by E-Control. Economy and Energy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer said the aim is to build new lines faster where they are needed, use existing lines better and avoid unnecessary costs.
Energy State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner said affordable electricity also requires affordable networks, and that under the new structure, households and businesses able to shift consumption, charge electric vehicles intelligently or avoid simultaneous peaks could benefit. She noted that regional variation remains, and some network areas will still see increases in 2027.
Gas network charges for households are projected to rise by an Austrian average of about 7%, mainly because falling gas sales and transit volumes spread largely fixed infrastructure costs over less consumption. The government is preparing an amendment to the Gas Industry Act covering a legal framework for a future hydrogen economy, forward-looking development of gas infrastructure and decommissioning plans for distribution-network sections no longer needed long term. The 2027 figures are preliminary and subject to consultation; E-Control will set the final charges afterwards.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：奥地利的风力发电机组。照片：Pawel Owsinski，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Wind turbines in Austria. Photo: Pawel Owsinski, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
