Electricity prices are traded on the power exchange in real time. In addition to long-term futures markets, there are so-called spot markets, where electricity is bought and sold at short notice.

As the share of renewable energy has grown significantly, the weather now plays a key role: when solar and wind power generate abundant energy, prices drop considerably – sometimes even below the producers’ generation costs.

A dynamic electricity tariff makes it possible to actively benefit from these fluctuations by drawing electricity when prices are at their lowest. This is particularly advantageous for EVs, as their energy demand is high and charging times are flexible. This is exactly where Spot Price Charging comes in.

An electric car is the household’s largest electricity user, often consuming more than all the other appliances combined.

Here’s an example calculation: at 15,000 miles driven per year and an assumed electricity consumption of 20 kWh per 100 kilometres, including charging losses, the annual charging requirement is 3,000 kWh. At an electricity price of €0.30 per kWh, that amounts to €900 in charging costs per year.

A dynamic electricity tariff can reduce costs if charging is shifted to cheaper times. If the average total electricity price for charging sessions were to fall to €0.15 per kWh, for example, the calculated saving would be €450 in charging costs per year.

The actual saving depends on the tariff, how prices change and how flexible you can be about when you charge. For example, people who work from home and can plug in their vehicle during the day may be able to take advantage of lower-price periods. These can occur, among other times, when a high volume of solar electricity is being fed into the grid.

KEBA has developed Spot Price Charging to be particularly convenient and practical to use. The feature can be activated directly in the KEBA eMobility Portal as soon as a wallbox has been registered.

The system automatically takes current market prices into account and intelligently adjusts the charging process. Basic preferences and limits can be defined individually, such as the preferred price range or specific time windows for charging. This creates an optimal balance between reliability and cost efficiency – without the need for daily adjustments.