Cost of founding an energy supplier in 2026
The ranges on this page are already in the founding guide. They are not a new calculation and not an offer. A real project sits inside them, or outside them.
The range from the guide
One-off founding costs in that account sit between 60,000 and 150,000 euro. Included are GmbH share capital of 25,000 euro, balancing-group securities in a range of 10,000 to 50,000 euro, IT for market communication of 15,000 to 40,000 euro, fees for BDEW and EIC codes, certifications, and advice including legal review.
Running fixed costs for a small supplier start there at about 4,000 to 8,000 euro a month. Staff, procurement and sales come on top and are not in that line.
What moves the range
A sub-balancing group through a provider ties up less security and less of your own IT than your own balancing group with the transmission operator. The price of that is a dependency. The range does not say which is cheaper.
The duration of 9 to 18 months is the same source. Without papers prepared in advance, the guide also calls 18 to 24 months possible. Time is a cost, because fixed costs run before the first delivery earns anything.
What the figure does not contain
The notification to the Bundesnetzagentur is free of charge in the text on that step. Cost sits in the evidence around it. The supplier permit at the main customs office has its own logic, including a possible security whose amount is not stated as a flat figure.
If you expect a fixed-price quote, this page will disappoint you. In a mandate I set the items against your model. The guide’s figure stays the orientation, not the invoice.
In the same context
All amounts are the ranges of the existing founding guide. They depend on the project and are not a promise.
Common questions
What does it cost to found an energy supplier?
In the guide on this site: about 60,000 to 150,000 euro once. That includes, among other things, share capital, balancing securities, market-communication IT, codes and certification. It is a range, not an offer.
What do early running costs look like?
For a small supplier the guide names about 4,000 to 8,000 euro of fixed costs a month, excluding staff, procurement and sales.
Is the Bundesnetzagentur notification subject to a fee?
In the text on the notification it is free of charge. Cost arises from the evidence, such as the register extract, the balancing group and review of the papers.