Germany has violated EU law by government having issued electricity grid charges between 2012 and 2013 large customers. These exceptions constituted an illegal state aid, said EU competition Commissioner Margre Vestager. Germany must now demand network fees for large users, which could amount to a maximum of 600 million euros. Discounts are possible.

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“All electricity consumers must pay network operators for services y use,” Vestager said. “If certain large electricity consumers are exempt from se charges, this is an unfair favor.” In addition, this will increase load on or consumers.

In Germany, pantographs with an annual consumption of more than ten gigawatt hours and constant and refore foreseeable electricity consumption 2012 and 2013 had not paid any network charges. According to Commission, re are estimates that beneficiary companies have refore taken toger 300 million euros per year.

Rebates are justified according to Commission

However, Germany has shown that large consumers caused lower costs than or users, authority furr informed. It is refore permissible to partially reduce charges. Germany must now demand costs for each individual company according to a predetermined calculation method.

As a result, total amount of reclaims cannot yet be accurately quantified. The EU Commission provided a margin of at least 120 million euros and a maximum of 600 million euros. According to Commission, share of network charges that each user must pay is at least 20 percent.