Network costs for electricity and gas will increase starting January 1, 2025. For electricity, costs for households are expected to rise by an average of 23.1%, and for gas by 16.6%, according to draft regulations from the regulatory authority E-Control. These network costs are set by E-Control and are typically published in December for the upcoming year. Additionally, rising levies could make energy several hundred euros more expensive annually.
For electricity, network fees will increase the most in Lower Austria and Vienna, with hikes exceeding 30%, followed by Styria at 29% and Upper Austria at 25.6%. In Burgenland, electricity network fees will also rise above the Austrian average, at 23.6%.
Among larger network areas, electricity network costs are highest in Carinthia. According to preliminary data, Carinthia Netz will charge 11.77 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) starting in January. Costs will also exceed 10 cents in Innsbruck, Lower Austria, and Styria. The lowest network fees are in Vorarlberg and Linz, at around 7 cents.
For gas, network fees will increase the most in Upper Austria, by 29.4%, followed by Burgenland at 21.7% and Lower Austria at 21.2%. In Vienna, Vorarlberg, and Styria, the increase is approximately 14%, while Tyrol and Salzburg will see a rise of around 9%. The smallest increase is in Carinthia, at 1.5%.
The highest gas network costs will be in Vienna, at an expected 2.73 cents per kWh, followed by Burgenland at 2.65 cents and Tyrol and Upper Austria at 2.48 and 2.45 cents, respectively. The lowest fees are in Salzburg at 1.72 cents and Vorarlberg at 1.78 cents, with Lower Austria also remaining below the 2-cent mark at 1.85 cents.
Network fees are part of the electricity bill, accounting for approximately one-third of the total cost. The other two components are the pure energy price—where switching suppliers is possible—and taxes and levies. Network costs reported by operators are reviewed for appropriateness by E-Control and are allocated to customers based on their consumption.
The sharp rise in network fees for 2025 is attributed to a decline in the energy volumes drawn from the grid, coupled with increasing costs for maintaining and expanding the networks. Higher costs are therefore distributed over fewer consumed energy units.
Electricity and gas bills are also expected to rise in 2025 for another reason. In 2022, taxes on electricity and natural gas were reduced to a minimum due to the energy crisis. This regulation expires at the end of 2024, and an extension would require legislative changes. Additionally, the electricity cost subsidy, also known as the electricity price cap, will end at the year’s close. Overall, household energy bills could increase by several hundred euros annually, depending on the network area and consumption.
It also remains unclear whether, and to what extent, renewable energy contributions and flat fees will apply in 2025. These were suspended in 2022 and 2023 and were financed from the budget in 2024.
