Balancing group billing and adherence to balancing group principles

Determining the price for balancing group billing

The "reBAP" (uniform imbalance price across control areas) is calculated as the price for imbalances in all balancing groups throughout Germany. This is calculated by the four German TSOs together for every quarter-hour period in a given month.

The balancing group billing process

As part of the balancing group billing process, between 34 and 42 working days following the end of each calendar month, the Balancing Group Coordinator charges the Balancing Group Manager for the balancing energy used, based on actual imbalances.

If corrections to energy volumes are reported retrospectively, a corrective invoice will be raised seven months following the original billing month.

The volume difference determined in the balancing group billing process will be multiplied by the calculated reBAP on a quarter-hour basis. The resulting quarter-hourly costs or revenues will be combined to produce a monthly total.

Adherence to balancing group principles

The balanced management of balancing groups is one of the tasks and obligations of the Balancing Group Manager (BKV) in accordance with s. 4 para 2 sentence 2 of the Ordinance on Electricity Network Access (Stromnetzzugangsverordnung) in conjunction with para 5 of the Standard Balancing Group Contract.

Ruling Chamber 6 of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) outlined these obligations in its position papers of 16 September 2013 and 28 May 2020. At the heart of the above obligations is the need to guarantee a balance between feed-ins and withdrawals from a balancing group in each quarter-hour period. Responsibility lies with the Balancing Group Manager in this regard.