# Demand charge

Also known as: Leistungspreis, Demand charge, Leistungstarif, Capacity charge

The Leistungspreis is the demand charge on Swiss electricity bills: the component commercial and industrial businesses pay for their maximum power draw, billed in CHF per kilowatt. For most Swiss distribution grid operators, the highest 15-minute average of the month is decisive. A single short load peak can therefore determine the grid costs of the entire month, regardless of actual energy consumption.

Canonical page: https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/leistungspreis/

While the energy rate per kilowatt-hour consumed is visible and often optimised, the demand charge goes unmanaged in many businesses. It rewards evenness, not thrift: whoever draws the same amount of energy without peaks pays less.

The most effective lever against high demand charges is [peak shaving](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/peak-shaving/) with a battery, controlled by an [energy management system](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/energiemanagementsystem/) that knows and anticipates the grid operator's 15-minute measurement window.

Concrete savings potential and a practical example: [Peak shaving for commercial operations](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/peak-shaving-businesses/).

## Related terms

- [Peak Shaving](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/peak-shaving/)
- [Energy management system](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/energiemanagementsystem/)
- [Grid usage charge](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/netzentgelt/)
- [Load profile](https://www.ampere-dynamic.ch/en/knowledge/glossary/lastgang/)