“Effect fee” is introduced – electricity bill can rush

Published 6 December 2024 at 14.01

Economy. All electricity grid companies in Sweden must introduce a pricing model with an impact charge, a kind of congestion tax for electricity, by January 1, 2027 at the latest, according to the government. The charge becomes part of the electricity grid cost and can make the electricity bill significantly higher for many households.

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The power charge aims to reduce the load on the electricity grid during the most intensive hours , usually morning and evening.

By favoring scattered electricity use throughout the day, it is hoped to reduce the need for costly electricity network expansions.

“Significantly much more expensive”
At the same time, this means that households that use many power-hungry devices at the same time can have significantly higher electricity costs.

– Charging with high power during the day will therefore be significantly more expensive than with current model, says David Bjurhall, head of price and regulatory issues at Ellevio, to Dagens Industri.

For households that charge electric cars at home, the difference can be over SEK 1,000 in electricity grid fees per month, depending on when charging takes place.

Expensive daytime heating
Even heating can drive up costs, which makes it important to plan impact-intensive activities like these for evenings and nights.

The power charge only applies to households with a main fuse of between 16 and 63 amperes, i.e. everyone who has a three-phase connection to their property. It has been called an “electricity congestion tax” and requires a new strategy for household electricity use to avoid runaway costs.

– Those who spread out or shift electricity use can avoid unnecessary cost increases, as their power peaks and thus charge then will be lower. And many will thus even be able to lower the fee compared to today, continues David Bjurhall in DI.