Glossary
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.
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 with a battery, controlled by an energy management system that knows and anticipates the grid operator’s 15-minute measurement window.
Concrete savings potential and a practical example: Peak shaving for commercial operations.