Dynamic Electricity Tariff 2026: What It Means for a Device That's Never Turned Off

By Dominik Lederer, Founder, Hardware Engineer & Solo Mining Expert at Polarblocks. As of August 31, 2026, 06:09 UTC. All exchange prices evaluated independently from the SMARD portal of the German Federal Network Agency.

What is a dynamic electricity tariff and who can get it?

A dynamic electricity tariff links the energy price to the hourly day-ahead price of the electricity exchange. According to Section 41a of the Energy Industry Act, every electricity supplier in Germany must offer such a contract since January 1, 2025, provided that an intelligent metering system is installed in the household. Without this meter, the obligation to offer remains theoretical, because only it measures precisely every quarter of an hour.

The idea behind it is good. Those who shift their heat pump, car, or washing machine to the hours when there is too much sun and wind in the grid pay less. The price then becomes a signal and no longer just an invoice.

However, this signal affects almost all household appliances. Almost all of them. A solo miner belongs to the small group for whom it works exactly the other way around, and this article explains why.

How expensive was exchange electricity really in August 2026?

Polarblocks analyzed the hourly day-ahead prices for Germany and Luxembourg from the SMARD portal of the Federal Network Agency, all 742 hours of August 2026. The average was 126.79 euros per megawatt-hour, or 12.68 cents per kilowatt-hour. The cheapest hour cost minus 1.22 cents, the most expensive 33.89 cents. This is a range of 35 cents per kilowatt-hour.

54 of the 742 hours were in the negative, which is 7.3 percent. The low point was August 8, 2026, at 2 PM Central European Summer Time, with minus 12.15 euros per megawatt-hour. The high point was August 13 at 8 PM with 338.86 euros.

The daily pattern is surprisingly reliable. On average for the month, the hour from 1 PM was the cheapest at 3.32 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the hour from 8 PM was the most expensive at 20.41 cents. Sun at midday, closing time in the evening. Those who can shift consumption do so to midday.

Is a dynamic electricity tariff worthwhile for a continuous runner?

For a device with a constant load, the answer is sobering. The Bitaxe Gamma 601 draws about 17 watts, steadily, day and night. It therefore pays exactly the monthly average of the exchange and not the favorable midday price. In August 2026, this was 1.60 euros of exchange share for 12.61 kilowatt-hours, before any charges are added.

A flat load profile has no advantage in a pricing system that rewards flexibility. But it also has no disadvantage. The miner neither buys particularly expensive nor particularly cheap, he buys the average. That's the whole story, and it's less dramatic than dynamic tariff advertising suggests.

What role do grid fees and taxes play in this calculation?

The crucial one. According to the BDEW electricity price analysis of August 21, 2026, 21.8 cents per kilowatt-hour consist of grid fees at 9.2 cents, and taxes, levies, and surcharges at 12.6 cents. This block does not change, no matter what the exchange price is. Even with an exchange price of zero, a German household therefore pays a good 21 cents per kilowatt-hour.

This allows for a clear monthly calculation. 12.61 kilowatt-hours multiplied by 12.68 cents exchange share equals 1.60 euros. The same kilowatt-hours multiplied by the 21.8 cents fixed block equals 2.75 euros. Total 4.35 euros, before the provider adds its own surcharge and basic price.

At a fixed tariff of 35 cents, the same month costs 4.41 euros. No seven cents difference. If you add the usual surcharge of a dynamic provider, the result even tips to the other side.

This is the uncomfortable figure that every marketing slide on dynamic tariffs avoids: The Bitaxe Gamma 601 would only cover its own electricity costs at around 10.72 cents per kilowatt-hour. The fixed block alone is double that. There is no exchange that closes this gap.

Why is load shifting useless for a solo miner?

Because every hour switched off is a missed opportunity. The Bitaxe Gamma 601 participates in 52,560 block rounds per year. If you only run it during the twelve cheapest hours per day, you push the exchange share from 12.68 to 8.35 cents. The total price per kilowatt-hour thus decreases by about 13 percent, while the number of attempts decreases by 50 percent.

It gets even harder with eight hours a day. The exchange share drops to 5.92 cents, the operating time to 33 percent. You save about 20 percent on the kilowatt-hour price and forgo two-thirds of all chances.

With a washing machine, shifting is smart. With a lottery ticket, it's nonsense. The Bitaxe in this regard is a ticket that only counts as long as it's in the pot.

A dynamic tariff rewards devices that can be shifted. A solo miner is the exact opposite; its only value lies in never stopping. If you confine it to the cheap hours, you save 13 percent on electricity costs and throw away half your chances. Dominik Lederer, Founder Polarblocks

How does the Bitaxe Gamma 601 compare to lotto and industrial miners?

The comparison is clear in emotional metrics, but not in pure return on investment. As of August 31, 2026, a Bitaxe Gamma 601 has an annual chance of 1 in 13,180 and around 52 euros in electricity costs. LOTTO 6aus49 with one ticket costs 124.80 euros in annual stakes alone and offers 1 in 1,344,598.

	Bitaxe Gamma 601	LOTTO 6aus49, one ticket	Antminer S21 Pro
Chances of winning per year	52,560 chances per year, each for a full block of 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees, annual chance 1 in 13,180 at approx. 1.3 TH/s in the Polarblocks configuration (as of 08/31/2026)	104 draws per year, annual chance of jackpot 1 in 1,344,598, about a hundred times worse than the Bitaxe	The same 52,560 chances, annual chance 1 in 73.2 thanks to 234 TH/s, but a device that cannot be kept in any apartment
Running costs in home office	Approx. 52 euros electricity per year, about 4.34 euros per month, at any standard socket, virtually the same amount with dynamic exchange tariff	124.80 euros pure annual stake at 1.20 euros per ticket, plus a processing fee that varies by state and provider	Approx. 11,377 euros electricity per year at 3,510 watts and 37.0 cents, plus 76 decibels, which forces it into a separate room
Drawer risk (boredom factor)	Low, because the display can show a new best value every second and the device is visibly on the shelf as an object	High, because a lottery ticket is worthless after the draw and ends up in the bin, twice a week anew	Very high in living areas, because the device usually moves to the basement or directly into resale due to noise and waste heat
Learning effect & hands-on blockchain fascination	High, because one's own pool address, difficulty values, and firmware updates make the network tangible instead of just explaining it	None, marking six numbers conveys neither technology nor probability theory	Present, but inaccessible in everyday life, because the device is built for continuous operation in a data center and not for curious tinkering

What does the Bitaxe Gamma 601 cost per year, and what's the return?

At 17 watts around the clock, it's 148.92 kilowatt-hours per year, so 52.12 euros at 35 cents or 55.10 euros at the BDEW average of 37.0 cents. The theoretical expected value on August 31, 2026, was 15.96 euros. The return rate is thus about 30.6 percent. The device does not cover its electricity costs.

This figure moves with the Bitcoin exchange rate, which is why it is timestamped here. According to mempool.space, the rate on August 31, 2026, at 06:09 UTC was 67,316 euros per Bitcoin, the difficulty was 125,807,076,547,198, and the network hashrate was around 904 exahash per second. A full block was thus worth around 210,363 euros, depending on the exchange rate, as of August 31, 2026.

To be honest, there's a second point that has nothing to do with electricity. The Bitaxe Gamma 601, in its standard condition, is not a whisperer at around 40 decibels. If you want it next to your desk, you can swap the fan for a Noctua model and get it down to around 30 decibels. Without this modification, the device is audible, and you should know that before buying.

How do I set up a dynamic electricity tariff for a continuous device?

In four steps. First, check whether an intelligent metering system is installed, because without this device, the obligation to offer from Section 41a does not apply. Then inquire about the dynamic tariff with your supplier. Afterward, compare the basic price and surcharge per kilowatt-hour with the fixed tariff. Finally, honestly assess your own load profile.

1. Check meter. An intelligent metering system according to the Metering Point Operation Act is a prerequisite. A modern metering device without a communication module is not sufficient. The metering point operator provides information on this. According to the Federal Network Agency, there is no obligation for the supplier to conclude a contract; contractual freedom applies.
2. Inquire about tariff. Since January 1, 2025, every supplier must offer at least one dynamic contract. If you cannot find it on the website, inquire in writing.
3. Compare surcharge and basic price. The exchange price is only part of the calculation. Grid fees, taxes, levies, and surcharges totaling around 21.8 cents per kilowatt-hour remain unchanged, plus the provider's surcharge and monthly fee.
4. Assess load profile. Those who can control their heat pump, wallbox, or storage will benefit significantly. Those who predominantly have a flat base load will end up paying roughly the same. A solo miner clearly falls into the second group.

If you want to see the device page behind it, you can find the current selection at the Bitaxe Home Solo Miner from Polarblocks. The calculations for consumption and electricity price are in our analysis of the electricity price in 2026, and the comparative figures for other continuous consumers are in the overview what a device in continuous operation costs. If you want to compare the consumption of different miners, you can find that in the mining options with low energy consumption.

Do I save money with a dynamic electricity tariff on a solo miner?

Practically not. The Bitaxe Gamma 601 cost around 4.35 euros with a dynamic tariff in August 2026, and around 4.41 euros with a fixed tariff at 35 cents. The provider surcharge can eat into this advantage. A flat load profile always pays the average price.

Can I benefit from negative electricity prices?

Only to a limited extent. 54 of the 742 exchange hours in August 2026 were negative, which is 7.3 percent. However, grid fees, taxes, duties, and levies totaling around 21.8 cents per kilowatt hour continue to apply. The final price thus remains positive even during negative hours.

Should I turn off my Bitaxe at night?

We advise against it. Every hour without operation is an hour without participation in the block search. If you only run it for twelve hours a day, you reduce the kilowatt-hour price by around 13 percent and the number of attempts by 50 percent. The ratio is not right.

Do I need a new meter for a dynamic tariff?

Usually, yes. Paragraph 41a of the Energy Industry Act links the obligation to offer to an intelligent metering system. According to the Federal Network Agency, there is no obligation to conclude a contract; contractual freedom applies. A modern metering device without a communication module is not sufficient. Installation is carried out by the meter operator.

For which devices is a dynamic tariff worthwhile then?

For anything that can be shifted in time. Wallbox, heat pump, home storage, washing machine, and dishwasher. In August 2026, the hour from 1 p.m. cost an average of 3.32 cents per kilowatt hour, the hour from 8 p.m. 20.41 cents. Those who can shift save real money here.