Billing in the context of RCP

Nicolas Vodoz Updated by Nicolas Vodoz

Within the scope of an RCP, the owner (or the co-ownership association [PPE]) becomes the building's electricity supplier, assuming responsibilities usually held by the Distribution system operator (DSO). This includes investment, energy supply, facility maintenance, as well as metering and consumption Billing and payments services.

Article 16 of the Energy Ordinance (OEne) specifies how to calculate the prices invoiced to consumers. The objective is to ensure profitability for the investments made by the owner while protecting tenants from potential abuses. Within a PPE, co-owners are free to apply whatever tariffs they wish.

Here are the 4 cost elements to consider in pricing:

1. Electricity drawn from the grid

The costs of electricity drawn from the grid include all elements invoiced by the DSO to the RCP: energy, grid usage, taxes, and the main meter subscription fee (Other fees and subscriptions).

These costs are recharged to consumers identically, without any margin for the owner.

However, in the case of a microgrid where several buildings are connected to the same grid connection point, the owner establishes a tariff to cover investments and maintenance costs related to building connections (cabling, transformers, etc.). In this case, the price charged to consumers is determined according to the actual cost method for solar electricity, as explained below.

2. Solar electricity

The costs of internally produced electricity are covered by selling photovoltaic electricity to consumers and by selling the surplus injected back into the DSO network. Regulations offer two methods for setting the tariff for solar electricity sold to consumers who are members of the RCP:

  1. The flat rate: The tariff is a maximum of 80% of the standard electricity tariff (without peak/off-peak differentiation) of the DSO, which the consumer would pay if they were not a member of the RCP. In this case, the tariff does not need to be justified to tenants.
  2. Actual costs: The tariff is calculated based on the actual costs of electricity production after deducting revenue from surplus sales. If the calculated tariff is lower than the standard product tariff, the difference is shared between the owner and the tenant. If the calculated price is higher than the standard tariff, the tariff must equal the standard tariff, as the owner is not allowed to charge more.

Actual costs include:

  • Amortization of relevant investments (photovoltaic panels, inverters, cabling up to the electrical panel, installation costs, including assembly and scaffolding)
  • Interest on amortization, calculated according to the WACC (weighted average cost of capital) for production (set at 3.98% for 2025)
  • Operating and maintenance costs (maintenance, repair and replacement of the installation, monitoring and surveillance of the installation, periodic maintenance, OIBT checks, cleaning of the installation, administrative fees, etc.)

Climkit recommends the flat-rate method for obvious simplification reasons. Once this method is selected by the owner, Climkit updates the solar tariff annually based on changes in local DSO rates.

3. Administrative fees

Administrative fees include all costs related to RCP management, such as meter data reading and transmission, statement generation, invoicing consumers and managing collections, as well as paying the grid draw-off invoice (Supplier invoice).

With a service provider like Climkit, administrative costs for metering and invoicing are charged directly to consumers. Climkit offers meter reading and statement generation (CHF 3.50/month) and, optionally, invoicing and collections (CHF 6.50/month). See the details of Climkit services for more information.

4. Meter subscription

When the owner finances the meters, these investments must be treated as production installation investments. The lifespan of electronic meters is 10 to 15 years. Annual meter costs are calculated via a constant annuity over the amortization period, to which are added the interest defined by the production WACC.

If installing a meter costs between CHF 200 and 250 for a 10-year lifespan, and 4% interest is added, the owner can collect a "meter subscription" of CHF 2.00 to 2.50 per month per meter from consumers. Consequently, the owner's purchase of meters does not increase costs but rather their investment, without affecting their return.

Climkit offers, within its invoicing service, to collect the meter subscription directly from consumers on behalf of the owner.

See Billing rates

References:

  • Energy Ordinance (OEne) of 01/02/2024
  • Self-consumption of electricity, David Sifonios, Propriétaires Services SA editions, 2023.

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