The trend in electricity prices is influenced by factors that drive prices down and those that drive them up. Overall, the factors driving prices down will predominate in 2027.

The energy price, which is influenced by market prices, is set to fall by around 5 per cent in Primeo Energie’s supply areas. Following the energy crisis in 2022 and 2023, which saw peaks in the electricity market, the energy market has largely stabilised. However, procurement prices remain higher than they were before the energy crisis, and the current conflict in the Middle East is once again leading to significant fluctuations in market prices. Like many other companies, Primeo Energie pursues a long-term procurement strategy and smooths out price fluctuations for its customers by purchasing tranches spread over three years. However, the effects of the high electricity prices of recent years are still being felt, albeit to a significantly lesser extent than in previous years.

Grid access charges, on the other hand, have risen. This is largely due to the far-reaching transformation that the Swiss electricity grid is currently undergoing in order to keep pace with the expansion of renewable energy sources. This requires substantial investment in grid infrastructure and the conversion of the grid into a smart grid. Added to this are rising operational costs and, depending on the supply area, the retroactive billing of costs from previous tariff years. The increase in self-consumption of locally generated solar power is leading to a lower volume of electricity in the grid, which also pushes up grid usage charges per kilowatt-hour due to fixed cost structures. Overall, levies are falling slightly.

Measures such as the introduction of the Primeo Dynamisch optional tariff are intended to counteract further cost increases and provide customers with opportunities to reduce their electricity costs.

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 metering charge covers the costs of the meters and the metering service. Until 2025, these costs were included in the basic charge. In accordance with Articles 18(1) and 8(1) of the Electricity Supply Ordinance, metering costs have been shown separately since 2026. These metering costs are 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 (the e-mobility customer group, interruptible applications and customers with other forms of flexibility, e.g. boiler control) make this flexibility available to Primeo Energie and may also revoke this right of use at any time. If interruptions, reductions in power or shifts in power supply are to be prohibited, written notice to this effect must be given to Primeo Energie with three months’ notice, effective at the end of the calendar year. Should such notice be given, the use of flexibility will be discontinued and, where applicable, the customer group will 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 Primeo Energie Genossenschaft, 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.

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.

The aim is to make the electricity bill clearer and simpler. In addition, the layout of the tariff components is being adapted to the new requirements of electricity legislation. Consequently, Swissgrid’s system services will no longer be listed under ‘charges’ but under ‘grid usage’.