In 2026, a typical Swiss household pays around 27.7 Rp./kWh in basic supply – on average about 4 percent less than in 2025, because the expensive procurement contracts from the crisis years 2022/23 are expiring. Prices differ greatly by municipality: from just under 10 to over 43 Rappen. For solar system owners, this exact grid purchase price is the decisive figure: the more expensive grid electricity is, the more every self-produced and self-consumed kilowatt-hour is worth. (As of: July 2026)
Key points in brief
- In 2026 an average household pays around 27.7 Rp./kWh – slightly lower than 2025 (about −4%).
- The decrease comes from the expiry of the expensive procurement contracts from 2022/23.
- Prices vary greatly by grid area: from just under 10 to over 43 Rp./kWh.
- The price is made up of energy, grid usage and levies.
- For PV owners the grid purchase price counts double: it determines the value of self-consumption.
How high are electricity prices in 2026?
On average, a typical household in basic supply pays around 27.7 Rappen per kilowatt-hour in 2026 – for an average household that adds up to an annual bill in the order of CHF 1,250. Compared with 2025, that's a slight decrease of about 4 percent, or a good one Rappen per kilowatt-hour. After the crisis years with their swings, this is a noticeable, if modest, relief.
The reason for the relief lies in procurement: many energy suppliers bought electricity at extraordinarily high prices in 2022 and 2023, and these expensive contracts are now expiring in many places. As a result, the energy component of the tariff is falling the most.
The qualifier «on average» is important: the Swiss electricity market is a patchwork of hundreds of grid areas, and prices vary widely – more on that shortly.
What is the electricity price made up of?
From three building blocks that together make up the amount on your bill:
The energy tariff – the price of the electricity itself. In 2026 it's the driver of the decrease and averages around 12 Rappen per kilowatt-hour.
Grid usage – the fee for transporting electricity over the grid to you. This too is falling slightly in 2026 and makes up roughly half of the total price.
Levies and payments to the community as well as the grid surcharge – smaller, largely stable items.
| Component | Order of magnitude 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Energy tariff | around 12 Rp./kWh | falling |
| Grid usage | around 11 Rp./kWh | slightly falling |
| Levies / grid surcharge | around 1–2 Rp./kWh | stable |
| Total (average) | around 27.7 Rp./kWh | slightly falling |
Guideline values, as of: July 2026. Source: ElCom. The figures are set anew each year and differ greatly by grid area – your energy supplier's own publication is authoritative.
This breakdown also explains why prices differ so widely by region: grid costs and procurement vary from supplier to supplier. Depending on the municipality, a household pays just under 10 Rappen in 2026 – or over 43.
What does this mean for my solar system?
A great deal – because the grid purchase price is one half of the solar equation. Every kilowatt-hour that you produce yourself and consume yourself at the moment of production replaces one bought in at this price. At 27.7 Rappen, your own solar power thus replaces an expensive purchase – and that's exactly the core of self-consumption: electricity you use yourself is worth a multiple of what the surplus brings in via the feed-in tariff.
This leads to the decisive insight: the value of a solar system doesn't just depend on its output, but on the price it replaces. A high grid purchase price makes self-consumption more valuable – and the levers for increasing it are shown in the article Cutting electricity costs with photovoltaics. The slight decrease in 2026 doesn't change this logic at all: grid electricity remains significantly more expensive than self-produced electricity.
And the future? Forecasts are tricky, and we don't make them – electricity prices depend on procurement, grid expansion and political decisions. Only the structure is certain: as long as grid electricity costs a multiple of your own solar power, self-consumption remains the core of every profitability calculation.
The electricity price question almost always comes up in consultations with an undertone of uncertainty – «now that prices are falling, is the system even still worth it?». Our answer is calm: one Rappen less in the tariff barely shifts the calculation, because the gap between the grid purchase price and the feed-in tariff is the real lever, and that stays large. What we show people is their own annual bill from the utility: there the grid purchase price is stated in black and white, often clearly above the Swiss average, because many municipalities in the region are more expensive. This one figure explains more about the value of a system than any price forecast – and it's real, not estimated.
Frequently asked questions
How much does electricity cost in Switzerland in 2026?
On average around 27.7 Rappen per kilowatt-hour in basic supply – about 4 percent less than in 2025. The figures vary widely by municipality, however, from just under 10 to over 43 Rappen. Your own energy supplier's current publication is always authoritative, not the Swiss average.
Why are electricity prices falling in 2026?
Because the expensive electricity procurement contracts are expiring that many suppliers concluded at extraordinarily high prices during the crisis years 2022 and 2023. Above all, this brings down the energy component of the tariff. Grid usage is also declining slightly, while levies remain largely stable.
Is a solar system still worthwhile with falling electricity prices?
Yes – the slight decrease barely changes the basic calculation. What matters is the gap between the expensive grid purchase price and the low feed-in tariff, and that remains large. As long as grid electricity costs a multiple of self-produced solar power, self-consumption is the core of profitability.
Why do electricity prices vary so much by municipality?
Because the Swiss electricity market consists of hundreds of grid areas, whose procurement and grid costs differ. Depending on the supplier, a household pays from just under 10 to over 43 Rappen in 2026. For the value of your solar system, it's therefore your local tariff that counts, not the average.
Free initial consultation
Your local electricity price, your solar potential.
We look at your annual bill and show you exactly how much every self-consumed kilowatt-hour is worth at your tariff – free of charge and without obligation.
Want to calculate yourself first? Solar calculator with official roof data →
Prefer to talk? +41 78 830 83 35
Photovoltaics Switzerland – installation by a specialist company →
Swissolar-certified specialist company · ESTI installation authorisation (Art. 14 NIV) · in Zurich since 2017 · over 150 systems completed · a personal answer from the specialist company, no call centre
Sources: ElCom (electricity prices 2026), VSE/Association of Swiss Electricity Companies, SFOE, federal information (admin.ch). Figures as of July 2026, set anew each year.
Last updated: 9 July 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
