The four German transmission system operators (TSOs) – 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT Germany, and TransnetBW – today published the preliminary nationwide grid tariffs for 2027. These were calculated taking into account a subsidy to partially finance transmission grid costs. The basis for this is the subsidy in the amount of 5.525 billion euros approved by the Federal Cabinet in early September 2026. It is to be financed from the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) and enshrined in the Energy Industry Act (§ 24d EnWG). The subsidy for 2027 is just under one billion euros lower than for 2026.
With this subsidy, the average grid fee at the high-voltage and step-up levels will amount to 3.54 cents per kilowatt-hour (ct/kWh) next year (2026: 2.86 ct/kWh). Without the planned subsidy, the grid fee would rise to 6.52 ct/kWh – an increase of nearly 3 ct/kWh.
Transmission system operators welcome the planned decision to make the subsidy for transmission grid fees permanent in the interest of grid customers and to continue it through 2029. According to the draft bill dated September 2, 2026, the subsidy is to amount to 5.525 billion euros per year during this period.
Legislation has yet to be passed
As of the date of publication, the law providing for a subsidy toward transmission grid costs for the years 2027 through 2029 has not yet been passed. The preliminary grid fees are therefore subject to the condition that the legislation is passed through the parliamentary process. If legal certainty has not been established by December 7, 2026, it is to be expected that the final, uniform federal transmission grid fees for the year 2027 will increase accordingly.
No Benefits for TSOs – Full Pass-Through to Grid Users
Transmission system operators are legally required to use the planned subsidy in full to reduce grid fees. This benefits all customers who draw electricity from the transmission grid and, ultimately, customers in the downstream distribution grids as well. How this relief will specifically affect customers below the transmission grid level depends on the specific grid characteristics of the respective distribution grids and may therefore vary by region. As regulated companies, the transmission system operators derive no financial benefit from the subsidy.
System Stability and Investments in Grid Infrastructure
Grid costs are primarily determined by two factors: first, measures to ensure system stability—such as congestion management, which prevents overloads in the power grid; and second, investment and operating costs for the grid infrastructure. As grid expansion progresses, the costs of congestion management are expected to decrease over time.
Grid Fees as Part of the Electricity Price
Electricity costs for end customers consist of several components, including the cost of procuring electricity, as well as taxes, levies, and surcharges. Grid fees are a central component of the electricity price and include both the grid fees charged by transmission system operators and those charged by distribution system operators, who supply end customers with electricity on a regional basis (BDEW Electricity Price Analysis 2026).
