Transmission tariffs of electricity and gas slightly lower in 2016

Consumers next year will pay slightly less for the transmission of electricity and natural gas of their regional network operators (distribution system operators). The transmission tariffs also dropped in 2014 and 2015. The maximum tariff decreases, on average, from EUR 327.52 to EUR 321.80. Each network operator has a different maximum tariff.

Regional transmission of electricity and natural gas

The transmission tariffs for electricity increase slightly by 0.56 percent. Last year, the tariffs experienced a substantial drop due to a major recalculation. Costs that had been estimated beforehand turned out to be considerably lower after the recalculation. This year, too, ACM performed a recalculation, which curbed the tariff increase in 2016. As the outcome of this recalculation is not as substantial as last year’s, the transmission tariffs for electricity, on balance, go up. One of the key components in this year’s recalculation is the local costs such as the municipal tax on electricity cables. The costs for regional transmission of natural gas go down by 5.55 percent.  As a result of this decrease, the combined natural-gas and electricity bill for transmission tariffs is lower.

National transmission of electricity

In 2016, the transmission costs for electricity over the high-voltage grid will increase by approximately EUR 13 million to a total of EUR 468 million. With these funds, transmission system operator TenneT is able to cover the capital costs of new, major investments such as the grid expansions in the Noordoostpolder region and near The Hague (Wateringen-Bleiswijk), among other projects. In addition, EUR 130 million in auction revenues from cross-border electricity transmission will be used towards lower tariffs.

ACM expects to publish the tariffs for national transmission of natural gas (carried out by Dutch transmission system operator GTS) in several weeks.