Electricity prices to fall slightly in 2026
Households in Switzerland will pay an average of almost 4% less for electricity in the basic supply in 2026. The reduction is due to lower energy prices. At the same time, new tariff elements will be introduced and dynamic grid models will be enshrined in law in order to utilize the grids more efficiently.
According to calculations by the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom), tariffs will fall to a median value of 27.7 cents/kWh in the coming year. For a typical household with an annual consumption of 4,500 kWh, this means an electricity bill of around CHF 1,247, around CHF 58 less than in 2025.
The price structure will change in detail
Energy tariff falls from 13.7 to 12.11 Rp./kWh (-11.6%).
Grid tariff falls from 12.18 to 10.75 cents/kWh, but no longer includes metering costs.
Metering tariff now shown separately at CHF 74.40/year (corresponds to 1.65 Rp./kWh).
Grid surcharge remains stable at 2.3 Rp./kWh.
Electricity reserve increases from 0.23 to 0.41 Rp./kWh.
Solidarized costs now at 0.05 Rp./kWh.
Charges to local authorities unchanged at 1 Rp./kWh.
The bottom line is a slight reduction for households, while small and medium-sized enterprises benefit more from lower grid and metering costs.
Reasons for the development
The price reduction is primarily the result of falling energy costs. Numerous high-priced procurement contracts from the crisis years 2022/23 are expiring, allowing more favorable market conditions to take effect. At the same time, the grid operator Swissgrid is reporting lower tariffs (1.42 Rp./kWh instead of 1.71).
On average, grid costs including the metering tariff will increase slightly, despite lower standard rates for the return on capital, which will enable savings of around CHF 120 million nationwide.
Dynamic tariffs from 2026
In view of the growing spread of heat pumps and electromobility, the load on the electricity grids is increasing. From 2026, grid operators will be able to introduce comprehensive dynamic grid tariffs for the first time. The aim is to align consumption more closely with the grid status and thus avoid costly grid expansions.
Dynamic tariffs are based on the actual costs and should be designed to reflect the source. They must remain comparable with previous tariffs for standard load profiles. Transparency and traceability in invoicing are required by law. To date, no grid operator has announced a dynamic model as a standard tariff; end customers are still guaranteed a choice.
Transparency and comparability
Since this month, all 2026 electricity prices of the approximately 590 Swiss grid operators have been available on the ElCom platform. The values are based on the operators’ median figures and can vary considerably from region to region depending on the procurement strategy and in-house production. ElCom does not approve the tariffs, but can intervene and order reductions if it suspects that prices are too high.