Dynamic electricity tariffs: Buying electricity on the exchange as a customer?
Find out how dynamic electricity tariffs work, what the advantages and disadvantages are and for…
Dynamic electricity tariffs mandatory since 2025
Electricity suppliers have had to offer their customers dynamic electricity tariffs since 2025. This is stipulated by the “Act on the Restart of the Digitization of the Energy Transition”, or “Smart Meter Act” for short. While consumers pay a fixed price per kilowatt hour for traditional tariffs, a dynamic tariff is based on the current prices on the trading exchange.
Prices on the exchange fluctuate throughout the day, depending on supply and demand. For example, electricity is cheap when there is a lot of energy in the grid – e.g. on sunny days when PV systems produce a lot of electricity. On the other hand, prices rise when demand is high but supply is limited. This happens in the evening, for example, when many people are at home and cooking or doing the laundry at the same time.
What do I get from the dynamic tariff as a consumer?
The electricity price is always in line with the market for you as a consumer. This allows you to use electricity at favorable prices. With a dynamic electricity tariff, you can actively influence your energy costs by shifting your electricity consumption to favorable time slots. If your major electricity consumers can be controlled flexibly (e.g. charging your electric car, heat pump), you can save money.
Dynamic electricity tariffs also reduce the load on the electricity grid. If fewer people consume electricity at the same time, there are fewer peak loads. Consumption is better distributed. There is a balance between electricity generation and consumption. This supports the energy transition.
Sounds almost too good. What is the disadvantage of dynamic electricity tariffs?
As a consumer, you bear the higher costs in the event of a price increase on the electricity exchange. Dynamic tariffs have no upper or lower price limits. It is not clear in advance how electricity prices will develop. Think of political crises and conflicts, for example. If things turn out differently than expected, you will pay more instead of saving.
The dynamic electricity tariff also requires you to be constantly and actively involved in the electricity market. You need to monitor prices and adapt agilely to the times when electricity is cheap. You cannot always consume electricity exactly when it is cheap. The more digital and smarter your home is equipped, the more interesting a dynamic tariff may be for you.
If you only consume a small amount of electricity, the savings compared to a classic electricity tariff are small. Do you also not want to constantly worry about prices and actively act accordingly every day? Then you should consider a long-term fixed price with a classic electricity tariff.
There is therefore no general answer as to whether the dynamic electricity tariff is interesting for you. It depends on your individual requirements, your flexibility and your willingness to take risks. We will be happy to advise you. Further information on the dynamic electricity tariff from SWK Stadtwerke Kaiserslautern can be found here (link to the product page).
Smart meter - nothing works without an intelligent electricity meter
If you would like to use a dynamic electricity tariff, you will need a smart meter for billing. This intelligent electricity meter records your electricity consumption every 15 minutes. The smart meter transmits the data to your meter operator via an internet connection. This enables billing on the basis of actual hourly prices.
The large amount of data increases the complexity of billing. With prices changing hourly, 24 prices and the corresponding consumption values are recorded per day. That’s 720 data pairs per month and 8,760 per year. Your electricity provider has to document and bill this for each individual customer.
Since 2025, households with an annual electricity consumption of over 6,000 kWh or with PV systems of 7 kWp or more have been equipped with smart meters.
You can find more information about the smart meter here
You might also be interested in
Energy future, The region and us
Charging stations Südwest expands e-charging network in the city and region
Charging points for charging electric vehicles are important for the energy transition. Drivers of electric cars want to be able…
Advisor, Energy and water, The region and us
The water traffic light is still green at the start of the year
SWK's water traffic light provides early information on the status of the drinking water supply. It is still green at…
