Grid access

In accordance with paragraph 20 of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG) of 7 July 2005, system operators of energy supply systems are obliged to grant non-discriminatory grid access to everyone on the basis of objectively justifiable criteria.

Transmission system operator 50Hertz Transmission GmbH offers grid access to the 380/220 kV system in the 50Hertz grid area. Customers who wish to draw electricity from the system of 50Hertz Transmission GmbH or feed into it conclude a grid use contract with 50Hertz Transmission GmbH (50Hertz).

For suppliers, 50Hertz offers a supplier framework contract, allowing suppliers to deliver electricity to customers connected directly to the grid of 50Hertz Transmission. In this case, it is not necessary for the contract to be related to certain points of consumption.

It is prerequisite to grid access by customers or suppliers, that consumption and production are balanced within a balancing group. This balancing group must be part of a contractually established balancing group system (paragraph 4 of Stromnetzzugangsverordnung [StromNZV - Ordinance on Power System Access]).

Customers who wish to consume electricity from the system of 50Hertz or feed into it conclude a grid use contract with 50Hertz. Based on meter counts, the electricity consumed by the customer is charged for on the basis of the price list for grid use. 

On 16/04/2015, the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) made a decision on the grid use contract / supplier framework agreement for electricity consumption. The model contract annexed to the BNetzA decision is binding.

The Federal Network Agency nevertheless granted the system operators some individual flexibility of which 50Hertz made use. To this effect, 50Hertz offers a model grid use contract for consuming customers (end consumers, suppliers) as well as for customers with existing feed-in and consumption. The adjustments made to the contract texts by 50Hertz are limited to the absolutely required minimum. The changes ensure that particularities of the settlement for grid use at the transmission system level are taken into account.

On 20/12/2017, the Federal Network Agency made its decision to adjust the grid use contract / supplier framework contract to the requirements of the Act on the Digitisation of the Energy Transition (ref.: BK6-17-168). As such, it takes into account the legal amendments as a result of the entry into force of the Metering Point Operation Act.

The Federal Network Agency published its decision (ref.: BK6-17-168) and its current grid use contract here.

On this page you can download the current price sheet, valid as of 1 January of the relevant year.

The price sheet for 2025 for access to the transmission grid in the grid area of 50Hertz Transmission GmbH  is valid from 1/1/2025 until 31/12/2025. All prices in this price sheet are net prices, to which the legally imposed turnover tax (currently 19 %) has to be added.

 The price sheet lists:

• Prices for grid use
• Prices for metering
• Prices for individual use of reactive energy outside the scope of the contract
• Construction cost subsidy for grid connections to the transmission grid

 The following legal levies are also included in the price sheet:

• CHP levy
• levy according to § 19 of the StromNEV
• Offshore liability levy (§17f EnWG)
• any other levies

The amount of the currently applicable legal levies as well as additional information on the levies can be consulted on the common online platform of the German TSOs (only available in German): http://www.netztransparenz.de/

End consumers with a special consumer profile - specified in the Electricity Network Charges Ordinance (§19 para. 2 StromNEV) - are entitled to an individual grid fee. The correspondingly needed contract between end consumer and system operator requires the approval of the regulatory authority (BNetzA). The agreement of an individual grid fee is subject to the condition that the respective requirements under §19 para. 2 of the StromNEV are actually met. If this is not the case, the grid use is settled against the general grid fees published in the price sheet. The required peak load time window for the appropriate application of individual grid fees under §19 para. 2 sentence 1 of the StromNEV is provided by 50Hertz.

Peak load time windows

The end consumer must apply to be granted an individual grid fee. Further information can be found on the website of the BNetzA:

http://www.bundesnetzagentur.de (German).

Transmission system operators have to reimburse downstream operators of electricity distribution grids for any revenues lost as a result of individual grid fees. They have to compensate each other for these payments and their own lost revenue. The lost revenue due to individual grid fees is compensated through a levy (§19 StromNEV levy) on the general grid fees.

A detailed description of the §19 StromNEV levy as well as additional information on the legal levies can be consulted on the common online platform of the German TSOs, www.netztransparenz.de (German).

Grid connection customers of 50Hertz entitled to an individual grid fee:

• BEW Berliner Energie und Wärme GmbH
• Brandenburger Elektrostahlwerke GmbH
• Hennigsdorfer Elektrostahlwerke GmbH
• Stahlwerk Thüringen GmbH
• Vattenfall Wasserkraft GmbH & Co.KG (pump current procurement)

50Hertz is the responsible metering point operator in your network area. In the case of third party metering point operators (competitive metering point operators) becoming active in our network area, 50Hertz provides a metering point operator framework agreement including technical requirements for the metering point operation.

By decision dated November 20, 2025 (Ref.: BK6-24-125), the Federal Network Agency amended the previously established framework agreement for electricity metering point operators. In this ruling, network operators are also required to adjust existing framework agreements for electricity metering point operators to the newly specified version by July 1, 2026. The new version of the framework agreement for electricity metering point operators will be effective as of July 1, 2026.

The network operators are required by the ruling to publish the framework agreement for metering point operators, in the version specified by the ruling, on their website.

To conclude the framework agreement for metering point operation, we kindly ask you to to use our letter of acceptance. Enter your address and market partner ID.

Documents (for download) on this page:

• letter of acceptance
• contact data sheet
• framework agreement for metering point operation
• technical requirements on metering equipment