> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-dev.prezio.eu/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Glossary

> Key terms and definitions for understanding electricity pricing and the Prezio API

This glossary explains key terms used throughout the Prezio API and electricity market context.

## A

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="API Key" icon="key">
    Authentication credential used to access the Prezio API. The same key works for both sandbox and production environments, with access controlled server-side based on your subscription.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Available Interval Minutes" icon="clock">
    Supported time resolutions (15, 30, or 60 minutes) for a specific country, returned by the `/countries/` endpoint. Different countries may support different time intervals based on their market data availability.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## B

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Bid Zone" icon="map">
    Geographic pricing areas within a country where electricity prices are uniform. Large countries like Sweden and Norway are divided into multiple bid zones (e.g., SE1, SE2, NO1, NO2) with potentially different spot prices.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## C

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Calculated Price" icon="calculator">
    The total cost for a specific tariff element during an interval, calculated as unit\_price × consumption amount. Appears in `/calculate/` responses alongside unit\_price when multiple price breakdowns are needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Component Types" icon="puzzle-piece">
    Categories of tariff pricing elements:

    * **PER\_KWH**: Price per kilowatt-hour consumed
    * **FIXED**: Fixed subscription fees
    * **TAX**: Government taxes and levies
    * **DEMAND**: Capacity-based charges per kW
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Customer Class" icon="users">
    Market segments with different pricing structures:

    * **RES**: Residential customers
    * **COM**: Commercial customers
    * **IND**: Industrial customers
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## D

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="DSO (Distribution System Operator)" icon="building">
    Company responsible for operating the local electricity distribution network. DSOs charge grid fees for delivering electricity to end customers through power lines and transformers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Detail Level" icon="layer-group">
    Response format options for API calls:

    * **full**: Complete breakdown of all price components with metadata
    * **semi**: Prices aggregated by organization type (DSO, Retailer, etc.)
    * **summarized**: Only total prices, no component breakdown
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## E

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Elements" icon="list">
    Appears twice in API responses: First in `tariff_elements` to list all available pricing elements with metadata, then in each interval's `elements` array showing the price results for that time period. Elements can represent individual components (full detail), aggregated costs by organization type (semi detail), or include VAT as separate line items (separated VAT).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## G

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Grid Costs" icon="electric-plug">
    Fees charged by DSOs and TSOs for maintaining and operating the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure. These are regulated costs that vary by location and consumption patterns.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## I

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Interval Minutes" icon="clock">
    Time resolution for pricing data in minutes. Can be 15, 30, or 60 minutes depending on market data availability. All timestamps in requests must align with the chosen interval. See [Live API](/essentials/live) and [Calculate API](/essentials/calculate) for detailed usage.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Interval Price" icon="calculator">
    Subtotal price for a specific time period, representing the sum of all element prices during that interval. Appears in API responses as the cost for that particular time slot.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Interval Start" icon="play">
    Timestamp marking the beginning of a pricing period. For example, "2023-10-15T14:00:00Z" represents the hour from 14:00 to 15:00. Must align with the specified interval\_minutes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Intervals (Time Periods)" icon="clock-four">
    Discrete time periods for which prices are calculated and returned. The number and format of intervals depends on the [detail level](/essentials/live#detail-levels) requested:

    * **Full/Semi detail**: Returns price breakdown for each time period
    * **Summarized detail**: No individual intervals, only total\_price across all periods
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## L

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Location Confidence" icon="location-dot">
    Score from 1-10 indicating the accuracy of address geocoding. Higher scores mean more precise location matching, which improves tariff applicability accuracy.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## M

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Main Tariff" icon="star">
    Primary tariff groupings used to organize and simplify tariff selection for API users. Main tariffs group related individual tariffs for easier discovery and selection.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## O

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Organization" icon="building-columns">
    Entity in the electricity market that provides pricing components:

    * **DSO**: Distribution System Operator (grid fees)
    * **TSO**: Transmission System Operator (transmission fees)
    * **RET**: Retailer (energy costs and margins)
    * **TAX**: Government authority (taxes and levies)
    * **OTHER**: Other market participants
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Organization Type" icon="tag">
    Classification of market participants by their role in electricity supply. Used for aggregating costs in "semi" detail responses and understanding price component sources.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## P

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Price" icon="tag">
    When only a single price value is returned for an element (typically in `/live/` responses), it appears as "price". When multiple price breakdowns are needed, separate unit\_price and calculated\_price fields are used instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Price Components" icon="calculator">
    Individual elements that make up the total electricity price, such as grid fees, energy costs, retailer margins, taxes, and regulatory charges. Each component has its own pricing structure and variability. In API responses, these appear as part of tariff elements.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Price Precision" icon="crosshairs">
    All price values in Prezio API responses use 6 decimal places (e.g., "0.123456") to ensure high precision for financial calculations and cost analysis.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## R

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Retailer" icon="store">
    Company that sells electricity to end customers. Retailers purchase electricity from the wholesale market and add their margins and services. Customers can often choose their retailer in liberalized markets.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Retailer Charges" icon="credit-card">
    Costs added by electricity retailers, including energy procurement costs, profit margins, customer service fees, and risk premiums for price volatility.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## S

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Sandbox Environment" icon="flask">
    Development and testing environment with limited but real pricing data. Open to all registered users for integration development and testing before moving to production.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Spot Pricing" icon="trending-up">
    Real-time electricity prices determined by supply and demand in wholesale markets. Spot prices change hourly and form the basis for variable electricity tariffs.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## T

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Tariff" icon="file-invoice-dollar">
    Pricing structure that defines how electricity usage is billed. Each tariff contains multiple components (grid costs, energy costs, taxes) and applies to specific customer types and locations. See [Tariffs Guide](/essentials/tariffs) for detailed information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tariff Elements" icon="list-ul">
    The individual pricing elements that make up electricity costs, such as grid distribution fees, energy costs, retailer margins, and taxes. In API responses, these appear in the `tariff_elements` array with metadata, and then their prices appear in each interval's `elements` array.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Time-of-Use (TOU)" icon="clock">
    Pricing structure where electricity costs vary based on time of day, day of week, or season. Common patterns include peak/off-peak pricing or seasonal variations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Total Price" icon="receipt">
    The sum of all interval\_price values across all time periods in a calculation or pricing request. Represents the complete cost for the entire time range and consumption specified.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="TSO (Transmission System Operator)" icon="tower-cell">
    Company responsible for operating the high-voltage electricity transmission network that connects power plants to distribution networks. TSOs charge transmission fees for long-distance electricity transport.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## U

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Unit Price" icon="tag">
    The price per unit (typically per kWh) for a specific tariff element. In `/calculate/` responses, appears alongside calculated\_price to show both the rate and the total cost for that element during the interval.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## V

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="VAT (Value Added Tax)" icon="percent">
    Tax applied to electricity bills. The Prezio API offers three VAT handling options:

    * **excluded**: Prices without VAT (default)
    * **included**: VAT included in each component
    * **separated**: VAT shown as separate line items
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Variable Pricing" icon="chart-line">
    Electricity tariffs where prices change over time based on market conditions, typically following spot market prices. Contrasts with fixed pricing where rates remain constant over contract periods.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Need More Information?

If you encounter terms not covered in this glossary, contact our support team at [support@prezio.eu](mailto:support@prezio.eu). We're happy to clarify any electricity market or API-specific terminology.