Electricity pricing consists of multiple tariff elements from different organizations. These elements combine to form the total price that end users pay for electricity.

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Element Structure

Each tariff contains multiple components that represent different charges, coming from various organizations in the electricity value chain.

DSO Elements

Grid costs from Distribution System Operators:

  • Fixed charges (monthly/yearly subscription fees)
  • Capacity-based charges (based on fuse size/connection capacity)
  • Usage-based charges (per kWh consumed)
  • Time-of-use variations (different prices for day/night)

TSO Elements

Transmission costs from Transmission System Operators:

  • System charges for high-voltage grid maintenance
  • Balancing costs for grid stability
  • Capacity fees for transmission infrastructure

Retailer Elements

Energy costs from electricity retailers:

  • Energy procurement costs
  • Retailer markup/operating costs
  • Risk premiums (for fixed contracts)
  • Spot market pass-through charges (for variable contracts)

Tax Elements

Government charges:

  • Value Added Tax (VAT)
  • Electricity taxes
  • Renewable energy surcharges
  • Environmental fees

Authority Elements

Regulatory charges:

  • Renewable subsidy fees
  • Grid development charges
  • Energy efficiency program funding

Other Elements

Miscellaneous charges:

  • Special local fees
  • Municipal charges
  • Specialized program funding

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Element Types by Charging Model

Tariff elements use different calculation methods depending on their purpose:

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Elements in API Responses

Price elements appear in API responses with identifiers, costs, and organization information:

{
  "tariff_elements": [
    {
      "element_id": "com_123",
      "element_name": "Grid Usage Fee",
      "organization_id": "org_456",
      "organization_name": "Stockholm Grid",
      "organization_type": "DSO"
    },
    {
      "element_id": "com_789",
      "element_name": "Energy Cost",
      "organization_id": "org_101",
      "organization_name": "Nordic Power",
      "organization_type": "RET"
    }
  ],
  "results": [
    {
      "datetime": "2023-10-15T14:00:00Z",
      "elements": [
        {
          "id": "com_123",
          "cost": "0.0521"
        },
        {
          "id": "com_789",
          "cost": "0.1045"
        }
      ],
      "interval_cost": "0.1566"
    }
  ]
}

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Detail Level Control

Control the granularity of elements in responses using the detail parameter:

Returns complete breakdown of all price components:

{
  "elements": [
    {"id": "com_123", "cost": "0.0521", "name": "Grid Usage Fee"},
    {"id": "com_456", "cost": "0.1045", "name": "Energy Cost"},
    {"id": "com_789", "cost": "0.0325", "name": "Electricity Tax"}
  ],
  "interval_cost": "0.1891"
}

Use: detail=full (default)

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VAT Handling

The Prezio API offers flexible VAT handling using the vat parameter:

Excluded

All prices excluding VAT (default behavior)

vat=excluded

Included

VAT included in each price component

vat=included

Separated

VAT shown as a separate component

vat=separated

VAT rates vary by country and sometimes by element type. The Prezio API automatically applies the correct VAT rates based on location and element classification.

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Usage in Applications

When displaying electricity costs to end users, consider presenting key component groups (grid, energy, taxes) separately to help users understand their bill structure.

For charts and visualizations, the semi-detailed response format is often ideal, showing the breakdown between major cost categories while avoiding overwhelming detail.