A typical Swiss household on the basic supply pays a median of 26.5 Rappen per kilowatt hour in 2027 – around 1.2 Rappen or 4 percent less than in 2026 (27.7 Rappen). The energy component keeps falling as expensive procurement contracts expire, while grid usage rises slightly. Depending on the grid operator, the tariff can also go up – in Aargau, for example, at AEW. For solar system owners, this purchase price is the decisive figure: the more expensive grid electricity is, the more every kilowatt hour you produce and consume yourself is worth. (As of: October 2026, 2027 tariffs according to ElCom)
Key points in brief
- In 2027 the median falls to 26.5 Rp./kWh (around −4 %): the energy tariff drops, grid usage rises slightly.
- 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.
Electricity prices 2027: what changes
The tariffs for 2027 have been fixed since 8 September 2026. According to ElCom, a typical household (consumption profile H4, 4,500 kWh per year) will pay a median of 26.5 Rappen per kilowatt hour next year – around 1.2 Rappen less than in 2026. Over a year, that is CHF 1,194, CHF 53 less than today.
| Component (median, H4) | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Energy tariff | 12.11 Rp./kWh | 11.35 Rp./kWh |
| Grid usage | 10.73 Rp./kWh | 10.94 Rp./kWh |
| Metering tariff | CHF 74.40/year | CHF 78.48/year |
| Grid surcharge | 2.3 Rp./kWh | 2.3 Rp./kWh |
| Total (median) | 27.7 Rp./kWh | 26.5 Rp./kWh |
Median values for a typical household according to ElCom’s press release of 8 September 2026. The tariff of your grid operator is what counts.
The pattern resembles the previous year, only weaker: energy becomes cheaper as expensive procurement contracts expire, while grid usage rises by around 2 percent. According to ElCom, the 2027 tariffs barely reflect the sharp rise in wholesale prices since March 2026 – depending on developments, it may only show in the following years.
Grid operators in our region
The Swiss median says little about your own bill. This is how the standard tariffs for an H4 household develop at the major grid operators in Zurich, Winterthur, Aargau, Zug and the Basel region – including levies; where these differ by municipality, shown as a range:
| Grid operator | 2026 | 2027 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| ewz (City of Zurich) | 24,3–24,8 | 24,6 | stable: energy unchanged, grid higher |
| EKZ (Canton of Zurich) | 24,1–24,6 | 23,9–24,4 | slightly lower |
| Stadtwerk Winterthur | 30,5 | 28,1 | lower |
| AEW (Aargau) | 27,8–28,0 | 29,3–29,9 | higher: grid usage from 12.23 to 14.95 Rp. |
| WWZ (Zug) | 21,9–23,5 | 21,1–22,7 | lower |
| IWB (Basel-Stadt) | 33,3 | 33,4 | stable |
| EBL (Basel-Landschaft) | 30,2 | 27,9 | lower |
Rp./kWh, standard product, consumption profile H4, basic supply. Source: ElCom, tariff data 2026 and 2027 (strompreis.elcom.admin.ch, data as of 7 September 2026). Levies to the public authorities differ by municipality; ElCom’s electricity price website shows the tariff for your address.
For solar system owners, the basic logic hardly changes: self-consumed solar power still replaces grid electricity at the full purchase tariff – and because only the energy component falls while grid usage rises, every self-consumed kilowatt hour remains valuable. More changes on the feed-in side: unless otherwise agreed, the feed-in remuneration is based on the day-ahead spot price from 1 January 2027. The details: Feed-in tariff 2027.
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 high are electricity prices in 2027?
A median of 26.5 Rappen per kilowatt hour for a typical household (consumption profile H4) – around 1.2 Rappen or 4 percent less than in 2026. The energy tariff falls from 12.11 to 11.35 Rappen, grid usage rises from 10.73 to 10.94 Rappen. Depending on the grid operator, your tariff can also rise, for example at AEW in Aargau. The publication of your own grid operator is what counts.
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.
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Further guides
Lower electricity costs with photovoltaics
Self-consumption or feed-in
Feed-in tariffs at a glance
Is a solar system worth it?
Profitability of a solar systemSources: 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: 21 October 2026 · Author: ecoEn editorial team
