Soaring Gas Network Fees: Households Faced with Additional Charges Approximately € 445
Gas network charges in Germany are set to rise significantly next year, with households facing potential additional costs of up to 445 euros for single-family homes, according to Verivox's analysis. The increased charges are primarily due to structural and market factors affecting the gas transmission grid.
One key reason for the price hike is reduced gas consumption from households and businesses, which raises the per-unit cost of maintaining the grid infrastructure. As fewer gas units are consumed, the fixed costs to maintain the network get spread over less volume, pushing up fees for users.
Another factor contributing to higher charges is grid under-utilization in Central Europe following the cessation of Russian pipeline gas transiting through Ukraine from January 2025. This has led to higher costs to maintain the gas infrastructure despite lower throughput, particularly in neighboring regions that impact Germany’s network charges indirectly.
While Germany plans to abolish the gas storage levy from 2026 to relieve consumers and industry, this relief will come after the higher charges are expected to hit in 2025. The levy, initially introduced to cover losses from filling storage sites, currently adds to network costs but will be federally subsidized starting next year.
Investments in the gas network, such as the construction of a liquefied natural gas network, also contribute to higher gas network charges. The new depreciation rules further add to these costs.
Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox, recommends affected households to consider alternative gas suppliers due to potential price differences exceeding 1,000 euros per year. Some individual network operators have announced gas network fee increases of up to 56 percent, while Verivox's analysis indicates that network operators covering approximately 43 percent of all households in Germany have announced such increases.
To mitigate the impact, households can look to conservation, subsidies, and energy transition as mitigating steps. The German government intends to finance the gas storage levy from the federal budget starting 2026 to alleviate the burden on consumers and industry. Energy efficiency improvements and behavioural changes can help households lower their gas bills amid rising network fees.
Transitioning away from gas heating or cooking to electric options could be a longer-term strategy to reduce exposure to gas network charges, as Germany expands renewable electricity and plans new gas-fired power plants for backup. Stakeholders are also advised to keep abreast of regulatory developments, such as the phase-out of avoided grid fees from 2026, which could affect storage and consumption costs.
A spokesperson for the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) attributes the price increases to the reasons mentioned above. Households cannot easily avoid these higher gas network costs as they are monopolies and state-regulated. It is crucial for consumers to stay informed and take action where possible to manage the impact of these rising charges.
- The reduced gas consumption from both households and businesses, along with investments in the gas network and new depreciation rules, are contributing to significant increases in personal-finance costs for users, such as utility bills.
- As the cessation of Russian pipeline gas transiting through Ukraine from January 2025 leads to higher costs to maintain the gas infrastructure despite lower throughput, this has indirectly affected the business sector and been a key factor in the rise of personal-finance costs.
