Stop 05 of 09 · Flexibility

How do dynamic prices steer charging?

About 6 min · 3 questions ·

Wednesday
The situation

The household next door has a dynamic electricity contract. The app shows tomorrow's prices: high in the evening, lower at night, lowest around midday.

The car is set to charge in the cheapest quarter hours before 7 AM.

The questionWhere do these prices come from, and why do they move?

A day of wholesale pricesCents per kWh, wholesale

A composed day. The shape follows the pattern the Bundesnetzagentur describes: highest when much is consumed and little fed in, often in the evening, and low around midday when solar generation peaks. The retail price adds grid fees, taxes and the supplier's margin.

Prices by the quarter hour

Since 1 October 2025, the European day-ahead market couples all bidding zones with a market time unit of 15 minutes. Tomorrow's prices are known today, quarter hour by quarter hour, which suits charging well: a controller can pick the cheapest slots before departure.

A right to a dynamic contract

Customers with a smart meter can ask for a contract, at least with every supplier that has more than 200,000 customers; suppliers have to inform them of the opportunities, costs and risks. For a household with an electric car, the car can be the largest load that follows such prices.

Check your understanding

3 questions. Answer all of them to complete this stop. Each answer explains itself.

01Question 1 of 3

Since when has the European day-ahead market used 15-minute time units?

02Question 2 of 3

Who can ask for a dynamic electricity price contract under EU law?

03Question 3 of 3

Why can wholesale prices be low around midday?

Further in other paths

  1. Load management · Stop 06How can grid signals and prices steer charging?Grid operators that may limit charging, capacity forecasts and dynamic prices: how signals from outside the site move charging in time, with Germany's §14a as an example.
  2. Battery storage · Stop 05How does a battery decide when to charge and discharge?The controller's day: refill when demand is low, discharge at peaks, keep a reserve for the evening, and follow prices where the site allows.
  1. Bundesnetzagentur: Dynamische Stromtarife: prices vary over the day and are usually highest when much is consumed and little fed in, often in the evening. https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Vportal/Energie/Vertragsarten/DynStromtarife/start.html. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
  2. Bundesnetzagentur, SMARD: The challenge of solar peaks: solar generation peaks at midday, and prices fall to zero or below when more electricity is available than needed. https://www.smard.de/page/en/topic-article/5892/217174/the-challenge-of-solar-peaks. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
  3. OKTE (nominated electricity market operator): 15-minute MTU in SDAC was implemented, 1 October 2025. https://okte.sk/en/information/news/2025-10-01-15-minute-mtu-in-sdac-was-implemented. Checked 09 Oct 2026.
  4. EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2019/944 on common rules for the internal market for electricity, Articles 11 and 33. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/944/oj. Checked 09 Oct 2026. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
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