The said quantity of gas is termed "accumulated balancing gas quantity". Quantities of accumulated gas exceeding the balancing margin are settled by Energinet.dk. Energinet.dk then either purchases or sells the gas from/to the shipper so that the shipper stays within his balancing margin.

When purchasing capacity for the exit zone, the shipper will be allocated a balancing margin free of charge.

Calculation of the allocated balancing margin is based on the size of the shipper's existing capacity in the exit zone on the gas day in question. During the year the shipper is allocated balancing margin:

• equivalent to +/- 72% of the shipper's pooled hourly capacity at the exit zone. The pooled hourly capacity is equivalent to +/- 3% of the shipper's maximum possible redelivery at the exit zone during a day.

Balancing margin is a sort of "overdraft facility" for balancing gas which offers the shipper flexibility on imbalances between the quantities that are delivered into and out of the transmission system during a day.

Both the balancing margin allocated in connection with purchase of exit zone capacity, as well as the balancing margin purchased at entering a contract on balancing service, may be transferred via Energinet.dk's Balance Transfer Facility (BTF). Required advertisement in connection with purchase or sale of balancing margin can be inserted on Energinet.dk's Bulletin Board.

New shippers without knowledge of the whys and hows of the Danish transport system can ask Energinet.dk for a two-months' balancing service contract free of charge.