With a dynamic energy tariff, we can save. Or lose.

• The largest energy sellers are legally obliged to offer individual energy consumers sales contracts with dynamic energy prices, i.e. prices that vary throughout the day and are based on the spot exchange market (so-called dynamic tariffs).
• Mariusz Purat from Tauron Sprzedaż reports that the cheapest hours are in winter between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and in summer from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cheaper energy is also available at night and on weekends.
• Rafał Gawin, president of the Energy Regulatory Office, says that the dynamic tariff is a good product, but for someone who understands the market and knows how to manage their energy consumption.

The largest energy sellers are legally obliged to offer individual energy consumers sales contracts with dynamic energy prices in August 2024, i.e. prices that vary throughout the day and are based on the spot exchange market (so-called dynamic tariffs).

Large energy consumers benefit from variable prices

"A home energy storage system and energy management system can automatically purchase electricity at times when it's cheapest. Approximately 65 percent of our business clients from larger companies already use exchange-based solutions for purchasing energy," Mariusz Purat, CEO of Tauron Sprzedaż, told WNP.PL.

He admits that among households, dynamic pricing contracts are an offer that is still waiting for greater interest.

He emphasizes that taking advantage of this type of offer requires awareness, commitment and a change of habits from the customer.

- We want customers who want to use dynamic pricing to have knowledge about how market prices change and, therefore, what benefits, costs and risks are associated with choosing a contract with dynamic pricing - adds Mariusz Purat.

He admits that daily monitoring of stock exchange prices for the next day in order to plan the use of energy-intensive devices is demanding, which is why Tauron Sprzedaż has introduced technological support for households in this regard.

New technologies will automatically manage the consumption profile, following prices and effectively taking advantage of the market price minimums that are increasingly appearing in the domestic energy exchange quotations.

Safe version: fixed tariff prices

In response to demanding dynamic prices, Tauron has created a safer alternative.

"The new Cheap Hours offer offers almost six months of cheaper energy than the frozen price and is the first multi-zone renewable energy offer in Poland. We enable customers to use electricity at the times when it's cheapest – safely, at a pre-determined price. What's more, this energy comes from renewable sources," says Mariusz Purat.

To use the solution, simply adjust the time of use of energy-intensive devices to the Cheap Hours schedule.

- We want households to gain real influence on their energy bills by adjusting their consumption to hourly electricity rates - adds Mariusz Purat.

The new offer, although linked to the energy exchange price, provides security thanks to pre-defined rates. This allows for optimal use of Cheap Hours throughout the day and year.

The cheapest hours are in winter between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and in summer from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cheaper energy is also available at night and on weekends.

Tauron argues that the potential savings are significant, as customers can benefit from over 4,000 hours of electricity cheaper than the frozen price. This equates to over 160 days of the cheapest energy.

In practice, this means that a household can reduce its annual energy costs by more than 20 percent.

You need to know how to use the dynamic tariff well

However, it must be remembered that dynamic tariffs also pose a risk to the recipient.

"A dynamic tariff is a good product, but only for someone who understands the market and knows how to manage their energy consumption. This tariff can be beneficial in situations where so-called negative prices occur, meaning that the customer is rewarded for consuming energy within a specific period," Rafał Gawin, president of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE), told WNP.PL.

He emphasizes that energy prices may be very high. To avoid the consequences of high prices, consumers should be able to manage their energy consumption to minimize their energy consumption in such situations (thus reducing their costs).

- The dynamic tariff offers an opportunity for cost savings, but only if we know how to use it: we understand how the market works, what determines energy prices, how they change in specific hours, and we have the ability and capacity to manage our consumption - emphasizes Rafał Gawin.

In his opinion, there is a large group of households that have such technical capabilities, primarily prosumers, and especially those consumers who have an energy storage facility.

When energy is expensive and our storage facility is full, the consumer can use their own energy and doesn't have to draw it from the grid. What's more, if they don't consume energy themselves, they can feed it into the grid and earn a profit.