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 electricity supplier for the building's residents, assuming the responsibilities usually assigned to the distribution system operator (DSO). This includes investment, energy supply, facility maintenance, as well as metering and billing services for consumption.

Article 16 of the Energy Ordinance (OEne) specifies how to calculate the prices billed to consumers. The objective is to make the investments made by the owner profitable while protecting tenants from potential abuses. Within the framework of a PPE, co-owners are free to apply the 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 billed by the DSO to the RCP: energy, grid usage, taxes, and the input meter subscription fee.

These costs are recharged to consumers exactly as they are, without a margin for the owner.

However, in the context of a microgrid where several buildings are connected to the same grid connection point, the owner establishes a tariff to cover their investments as well as maintenance costs related to the 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 the photovoltaic electricity to consumers and by reselling the surplus fed back to the DSO. Regulations offer two methods for setting the tariff for solar electricity sold to RCP member consumers:

  1. The flat rate: The tariff is a maximum of 80% of the DSO's standard electricity tariff (without distinction between peak/off-peak hours) that the consumer would pay if they were not an RCP member. In this case, the tariff does not need to be justified to the 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, installation monitoring and supervision, periodic maintenance, OIBT inspections, installation cleaning, 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 tariffs.

3. Administrative fees

Administrative fees include all costs related to RCP management, such as meter data readings and transmission, statement generation, consumer billing and collection processing, as well as payment of the grid draw-off invoice.

With a service provider such as Climkit, administrative costs for metering and billing are charged directly to consumers. Climkit offers meter reading and statement generation (CHF 3.50/month) and, optionally, billing 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 like those for production installations. 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 purchase of meters by the owner does not increase costs, but rather their investment, without affecting their return.

In its billing service, Climkit offers to directly collect the meter subscription 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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