Heat pump electricity price: the official numbers
The electricity price decides what a heat pump costs to run. Two German authorities publish averages, and both need careful reading.
Worked through by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
What your heat pump power costs
With a separate meter
€1,235
| Shared meter (32 ct) | €1,427 |
| Household power (38 ct) | €1,709 |
Average all-in prices: Federal Network Agency (April 2025), Federal Statistical Office (first half of 2026).
There are two official sources for what a heat pump’s electricity costs in Germany. The Federal Network Agency surveyed heating tariffs on 1 April 2025: heat pumps with their own meter paid 27.44 ct per kWh on average, heat pumps sharing a meter with the household 31.70 ct, standing charge and taxes included. The Federal Statistical Office reports 37.97 ct for household electricity in the first half of 2026, and 30.55 ct for households using over 15,000 kWh a year. A 140 m² class E house in Lower Saxony with an air-source heat pump at the measured performance factor of 3.4 uses about 5,072 kWh a year. That costs €1,392 with a separate meter, €1,608 on a shared meter and €1,926 at the household price. Each cent per kWh is worth €51 a year in this house. The heating tariff figures predate the lower 2026 network charges and are probably on the high side today.
Two authorities, four prices
There is no single “heat pump electricity price”. Every year the Federal Network Agency asks heating power suppliers for their prices in its monitoring report, separating storage heaters, heat pumps on a shared meter and heat pumps on their own meter. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) surveys household electricity prices twice a year across all contracts, from the default supply tariff (Grundversorgung) to new special contracts. Both figures include unit price, standing charge, network charges, levies and taxes, so they are all-in prices per kWh.
| Price | ct per kWh | As of | Cost in the example house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump, separate meter | 27.44 | 1 April 2025 | €1,392 |
| Household above 15,000 kWh | 30.55 | first half of 2026 | €1,550 |
| Heat pump, shared meter | 31.70 | 1 April 2025 | €1,608 |
| Household power, average | 37.97 | first half of 2026 | €1,926 |
The Federal Network Agency asked suppliers about annual use of 7,500 kWh and weighted the answers by volume. If you use much less, you pay a little more per kWh because the standing charge is spread over fewer units. The Destatis figures cover the first half of 2026; the heating tariff values date from spring 2025 and are the older source.
What the price is made of
In the Federal Network Agency’s breakdown, the part the supplier controls, meaning purchasing, sales and margin, is roughly half of the heating power price. The rest is network charges, metering, concession fee, levies, electricity tax and VAT. That is where separate metering pays: electricity flowing to the heat pump through its own metering point is exempt from the combined heat and power levy and the offshore grid levy under section 22 of the Energy Financing Act. On top come a lower network charge, because the grid operator may control the heat pump, and a lower concession fee. What the second meter costs and which network charge options exist is explained under heat pump tariff.
Why the 2026 figures are probably too high
Destatis reports that household electricity in the first half of 2026 was cheaper than in the second half of 2025, and names lower network charges after federal subsidies to grid operators as a main reason. That relief is not yet in the April 2025 heating tariff values, and no newer official survey of heat pump tariffs exists. Using 27.44 ct is therefore on the cautious side. For your own decision, the offer for your address is what counts. Supplier contracts and price sheets are in German; the key terms are Arbeitspreis (unit price) and Grundpreis (standing charge).
Use times price: the yearly bill
The electricity cost is the product of two numbers. You know the price from the contract; the consumption has to be estimated. In the example house an air-source heat pump at the performance factor of 3.4 measured in existing buildings uses about 5,072 kWh, a ground-source unit at 4.3 only 4,011 kWh (Fraunhofer ISE). If the air unit runs as poorly as the weakest system in the study, it is 6,633 kWh; as well as the best, only 3,519 kWh.
| Performance factor | Power a year | Separate meter | Household power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.6 | 6,633 kWh | €1,820 | €2,518 |
| 3.4 | 5,072 kWh | €1,392 | €1,926 |
| 4.9 | 3,519 kWh | €966 | €1,336 |
The table shows that the efficiency of the system can outweigh the electricity price: a well set-up heat pump on expensive household power comes out cheaper than a poorly running one on a cheap tariff. To estimate your own consumption from your gas bill or floor area, use heat pump electricity use.
Your efficiency class
Class
E
| Final energy a year | 18,850 kWh |
| Air heat pump electricity | 4,801 kWh |
Reference climate, not adjusted for your state.
Reading an offer
Three details show whether an offer is in line with the averages. First, the unit price per kWh, which on a two-rate meter is split into a high rate and a low rate for off-peak hours. Second, the yearly standing charge, plus the metering fee if the heat pump has its own meter. Divide all fixed amounts by your expected use, add the unit price, and you get the all-in price per kWh shown in the table above. Third, contract term and price guarantee: a low price for twelve months says little about the twenty years a heat pump should run. When comparing offers, work each one out with the same annual use, for example the 5,072 kWh of the example house or your own figure from the calculator.
What this means for the decision
For a comparison with a gas boiler, what matters is the gap between the electricity and gas price, divided by efficiency. The price of one kWh of heat for each system is set out under heating costs compared. Whether switching pays off once purchase and grant are included is shown under heat pump or gas boiler, and the heat pump calculator runs the full numbers with your own price. If you have not bought yet, the grant is explained under KfW 458.