Dynamic tariff optimization: How companies can significantly reduce their electricity costs and stabilize the grid

While conventional electricity tariffs offer fixed kW prices over months or years, dynamic tariffs are based on the current market price. This is recalculated every 15 minutes on the EPEX Spot, the European electricity exchange, based on supply and demand. If the share of renewable energies fluctuates or consumption in the grid changes, this is directly reflected in the price.

Occasionally, the price per kilowatt hour can be as low as 10-15 cents per kilowatt hour instead of an average of 30 cents. Or: If there is a particularly large amount of electricity in the grid and demand is low at the same time, the electricity price can even be negative at times. Supply and demand determine the price on the electricity exchange.

These price fluctuations can be particularly beneficial for companies with their own charging infrastructure; electric fleets that spend a long time at charging stations offer the opportunity to flexibly control charging processes. This is exactly where the concept of dynamic tariff optimization comes in: electricity is used when it is cheap. The double bonus: in most cases, the electricity is also particularly clean due to the high proportion of wind and solar energy.

The technical prerequisite for dynamic tariffs is a so-called smart meter. The meter records electricity consumption in real time and automatically transmits the data to the energy supplier. This is the only way to bill consumption accurately and link it to the respective dynamic market prices.

Incidentally, since 2025, energy suppliers in Germany have been legally obliged to offer dynamic electricity tariffs. This makes this form of electricity procurement a central component of modern energy use.

In addition to smart meters and a suitable dynamic electricity tariff, flexible control units such as an energy management system that can plan load profiles and automatically adjust charging times to changes in electricity prices, are technically necessary. For charging in companies, electricity meters and charging stations that comply with calibration law are also essential so that companies can operate in a legally compliant and traceable manner.

One challenge lies in integrating these systems into existing charging infrastructures and IT environments. Internal processes – such as charging plans for vehicle fleets, especially for commercial vehicles and vehicles with short downtimes – must also be brought into line with the new flexibility.

Particularly fleet operators, logistics companies, and businesses with many charging points benefit from dynamic tariff optimization to improve the cost-effectiveness of their fleets. With intelligent charging and energy management such as ChargePilot®, charging processes can be specifically and, above all, automatically shifted to times when electricity prices are low – for example, at night or when there is a high supply of wind and solar power. Electricity consumption flexibly adapts to the best conditions at any given time. The system still guarantees that vehicles are fully charged when they are needed.

The result:

• Cost savings through the use of low-price windows
• Relief for the power grid and avoidance of expensive peak loads because charging processes are flexibly distributed
• CO₂ reduction, especially when more electricity from renewable sources is used
• Automation ensures convenience and planning reliability – without manual intervention by fleet managers or energy managers

This creates clear added value for both the profitability and sustainability of the company.

Dynamic tariffs are considered the key to the next stage of e-mobility. They not only enable cheaper electricity procurement, but also the active integration of vehicles into the energy system – and are the next step towards vehicle-grid integration (VGI). With dynamic tariff optimization, electric mobility is transformed from a pure electricity consumer into part of the solution for a stable and sustainable energy grid. Dynamic tariff optimization offers companies the opportunity to significantly reduce their energy costs while simultaneously saving CO₂ and contributing to grid stabilization.