The energy price, which is influenced by market prices, is falling significantly by 6 to 9 per cent in Primeo Energie's supply areas. Following the electricity market peaks in 2022 and 2023, the energy market has now calmed down. However, procurement prices are still higher than before the energy crisis. Like many other companies, Primeo Energie pursues a long-term procurement strategy and smooths out the price effects for its customers by purchasing tranches over three years. However, the effects of the high electricity prices of recent years are still being felt, albeit to a much lesser extent than in previous years.

On the other hand, grid usage prices have risen. This is largely due to the profound restructuring that the Swiss electricity grid is currently undergoing in order to keep pace with the expansion of renewable energies. This requires high investments in the grid infrastructure and the conversion of the grid to a smart grid. Added to this are the rising operating costs and, depending on the supply area, the subsequent billing of costs from previous tariff years. The increase in self-consumption of locally produced solar power leads to a lower amount of electricity in the grid, which also increases grid usage prices per kilowatt hour due to fixed cost structures. Measures such as the introduction of the new dynamic tariff Primeo NetzDynamisch are intended to counter further cost increases.

Coverage differences arise when a grid operator's income from electricity tariffs does not exactly match the costs incurred. As it takes almost two years from the tariff communication to the actual results, the income can be higher or lower than the costs. If the revenue is lower, this is referred to as a shortfall and the grid operator can later charge the customer for these costs. In the opposite case, this is referred to as over-recovery and the grid operator must pay the difference back to the customers.

Coverage differences are usually reduced within three years by including them in the electricity tariff. They have a correspondingly increasing or decreasing effect on electricity prices. Coverage differences are incurred for grid utilisation and energy. During the energy crisis, unexpectedly high negative coverage differences were incurred, which still have the effect of increasing electricity tariffs.

In 2022, the federal government created the «winter reserve» (hydropower reserve, reserve power plants, emergency power groups) to ensure the supply of electricity in the winter of 2022/2023. The costs for these emergency measures will be included in the grid usage tariff in the electricity price for the first time in 2024 and will therefore also contribute to the increase in the electricity price.The levy for the electricity reserve to finance the provision of the hydropower reserve and the availability of reserve power plants amounts to 0.41 cents/kWh for the year 2026 (excluding VAT).

The new federal levy on ‘solidarity costs’ is used to finance grid upgrades and the bridging aid for the steel and aluminium industry approved by Parliament. This new tariff amounts to 0.05 centimes per kilowatt hour and costs an average four-person household with an annual electricity consumption of 2,500 kWh around £1 per year.

The new metering tariff covers the costs of the meters and metering. These costs were previously included in the basic price. According to the Electricity Supply Ordinance, Art. 18 (1) and Art. 8 (1), metering costs must be shown separately from 2026 onwards. These metering costs will be invoiced in addition to the costs for grid usage.

Flexibility is the ability to shift electricity consumption or production over time (e.g. heat pumps, PV systems in combination with batteries or electric cars). It basically belongs to the owner of the system and is remunerated by the respective energy supplier. At Primeo Energie, for example, this takes the form of special tariffs such as the tariff for interruptible applications or e-mobility.

Flexibility helps the grid operator to integrate renewable energy. It enables them to balance and stabilise the electricity grid and avoid grid upgrades.

Customers with flexibility (e-mobility customer group, interruptible applications and customers with other flexibility, e.g. boiler control) make this flexibility available to Primeo Energie and can also revoke this right of use. If interruptions or reductions or shifts in power are to be prohibited, a corresponding notification must be sent in writing to Primeo Energie with 30 days' notice after publication of the annual price lists or with three months' notice by the end of the calendar year. If such a termination occurs, the use of flexibility will be discontinued and the customer group may be adjusted.

No. The increase in electricity prices varies from supplier to supplier. In the energy segment, the differences depend largely on whether the majority of electricity is sourced from in-house production or procured on the market. The grid utilisation part depends heavily on the investments in grid expansion and conversion that the respective energy supplier has planned. 

The regulated electricity and grid tariffs are monitored by the Electricity Commission (ElCom) and it is clearly regulated what may and may not be included as costs. Accordingly, the costs for sponsorship and advertising are not charged to the grid, but to the Elektra Birseck cooperative, and therefore have no influence on the final prices (electricity bills) for customers with a basic supply. We carry out advertising and sponsorship in particular for those business areas and products and services that are on the market and are therefore exposed to competition. This concerns the areas of heat, energy, e-mobility, etc., and not the tied grid customers. As a local company, we are continuously committed to the common good and recognise our social responsibility. Every year, the Assembly of Delegates of the EBM cooperative approves a six-figure sum from Primeo Energie's profits, which we use to support many charitable institutions as well as sporting, cultural and social organisations. You can find more information here.

You can see your current electricity consumption on your electricity meter (Wirkenergie vorwärts) and, if you have a SmartMeter, you can find the monthly values in the Primeo Energie customer portal my.primeo-energie.ch. If you do not yet have a login, please select the ‘Register’ tab at the top and fill in the fields accordingly.

Towards the end of the calendar year, a forecast tool will be available to you in the customer portal.

The account invoice is adjusted on the occasion of the annual periodic invoice. For this purpose, the current consumption, the future price and the corresponding accounts are calculated.

We recommend that private households use energybox.ch to determine their energy-saving potential and to get valuable information. An energy consultancy can help with more complex issues.