Estonia has taken a major step toward fairer grid economics by removing double grid fees for batteries.

Until now, battery owners paid grid fees twice: once when charging from the grid and again when discharging energy back into it. This setup severely impacted margins, especially for smaller commercial systems where grid costs could consume up to a third of total earnings. With the new rules, this penalty is gone, provided that the battery has a dedicated metering point and does not share it with any other consumption. In short, one energy flow now means one grid fee.

€12 Million Reasons to Celebrate

Let’s look at the impact. If Estonia installs 500 MW of storage, operating 2,400 hours per year at 80% efficiency, operators could save up to €12 million annually by avoiding duplicate grid charges. For C&I projects, behind-the-meter storage, and EPCs, this shift means shorter paybacks, better returns, and stronger financial viability for projects that previously didn’t make sense.

Not Just Estonia

The issue of double charging isn’t unique to Estonia. Across Europe, many countries still apply both consumption and injection fees to battery storage. This outdated approach treats batteries as both energy consumers and producers, discouraging investment. Some countries have already started correcting this. Ireland eliminated generation-related charges for storage, Germany and Spain introduced targeted exemptions, and the Netherlands is reforming grid pricing to reduce overall fees. Despite these improvements, several EU Member States still maintain billing structures that penalize energy storage rather than support it.

A Smarter Way to Meter

Estonia’s reform also updates the way energy is measured. Previously, DSOs (Distribution System Operators) calculated demand and generation separately for each phase. As a result, even well-balanced systems could end up paying twice within the same billing period. Under the new model, power flows are first summed across all three phases and then categorized as either consumption or generation. This approach is not only simpler but also far more accurate and in line with how modern batteries interact with the grid.

What Comes Next?

While this reform improves project economics, it also removes one source of income for the grid. Balancing costs in Estonia have risen since desynchronization from the Russian grid, and there may be future efforts to recover those costs through other mechanisms. Even so, this legislative change sends a strong signal. It removes a key barrier to storage investment and aligns Estonia’s billing practices with the realities of a modern, flexible energy system.

Double charging is being phased out. Fusebox is ready. Are you?