The regulatory authority E-Control is pushing for the decommissioning of parts of the gas network. Gas distribution system operators should be legally obliged to submit plans for downsizing every four years.
Due to the decline in gas connections and lower gas consumption, grid costs per connection could otherwise rise even more sharply in the coming years, according to E-Control.
The Chamber of Labour warns that without countermeasures, grid tariffs could increase thirteen-fold by 2039.
"Without redimensioning, the network charges for the remaining gas customers will continue to rise," said E-Control board member Alfons Haber at a symposium on the future of the gas network on Tuesday.
Coordination of suppliers necessary
The dismantling also requires coordination between the gas network operators and electricity network operators and district heating providers so that end customers can switch to other heating systems, said Haber, adding that this would require changes to tenancy law and residential property law.
Austria loses its role as a gas transit country
Over the past three years, there has been a noticeable decline in gas connections and consumption has fallen by 21 per cent on average. Austria has also lost its role as a transit country for Russian natural gas as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Households and companies are feeling the consequences in their annual gas bills, as network costs have risen significantly, by an average of 16.6 per cent as of 1 January 2025.
Haber calculated that if gas volumes fall by 2.5 per cent annually, grid fees will be a quarter higher in eight years. Joel Tölgyes, energy economist at the Chamber of Labour (AK), said that if the current trend were to continue, gas grid costs would rise more steeply year on year, by a factor of 13 by 2039. There is therefore an urgent need for action to switch to consumer-friendly alternatives for heat supply.
