Published 2026-05-31
The electricity price goes away – again.
And it may become more expensive until next winter.
You can do that right now to protect yourself.
Nobody wants a wet summer. But the fact is that your electricity bill benefits from it. Because electricity prices are going up. Again.
In the middle of May measured the highest May price since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The reasons are several. A dry winter has led risk of shortage in the water tank. The activity in the nuclear power plants is lower due to maintenance and failure of a reactor. Add to that increased energy prices in the wake of the Hormuz crisis.
According to the electricity exchanges, the situation does not appear to be improving, says Patrik Södersten, electricity price expert at the electricity company Fortum.
– We may see a higher electricity price for the rest of the year, which will continue until next winter.
The expert’s advice: “Make an electricity budget”
To make it easier for consumers, one is paid temporary electricity support out to households starting in June. But what can be done already now to guard against future high electricity prices?
– Make an electricity budget. Analyze what last winter cost in electricity bills and put the money away together with the electricity subsidy already now, says Patrik Södersten, electricity price expert at Fortum.
Södersten’s tip for reducing electricity costs is to be an active consumer with common sense. If you have a variable electricity price, you can make a lot of money by being flexible in consumption.
– In southern Sweden, it can cost two kroner per kilowatt hour during the most expensive hour. But in the middle of the day it is cheaper. Put the dishwasher and washing machine on a timer and you have the chance to run an hour for five öre during the cheapest time.
– If you have a fixed price, maybe you should think about the total consumption. for example, cut down on underfloor heating or heated towel rails if it’s still hot outside, he says.
“The price can fluctuate greatly”
If you ask Ylva Lövqvist at Konsumenternas energymarknadsbyrå, reviewing the household’s habits and which electricity contract best suits one’s finances is a stable tip for countering high electricity prices.
– The electricity price can fluctuate greatly from day to day or hour to hour. If you have an economy that allows large price variations, you can have a variable contract with a monthly average price. Then it is based on the previous month’s average price of all hours.
If you cannot adapt electricity use to times of the day when the price is low, you risk higher costs with an hourly price agreement or quarter price agreement. Then Lövqvist recommends an agreement with a fixed electricity price or variable electricity agreement where the price is based on a monthly average value.
– With a fixed electricity price, you know what price applies per kilowatt hour during the contract period and can, based on your known electricity use, calculate your total electricity costs.
Climate and energy advisors in each municipality
Lövqvist also raises the tip about climate and energy advisors. There is at least one in every municipality and they can help you with advice when it comes to reducing energy use, lowering energy costs or installing solar cells.
– More everyday tricks are to turn off the underfloor heating during the summer, do not heat the bathroom before jumping into the shower, lower the element one degree during the winter and turn off those that are not needed, says Ylva Lövqvist.
The expert’s three-stage rocket
Johanna Lakso is CEO of Power circle, an interest organization for the future of electrification. She proposes a three-stage rocket to mitigate future high prices.
The first step is to review where energy efficiency can be improved.
– For example, additional insulation can save money. It’s a bigger investment, but one that pays off in the long run.
Step two is to review the electricity contract.
– If you choose an electricity contract with a price per quarter and expose yourself to the market, you get more opportunities to charge the car when the electricity is cheap or to use a control system for the heat pump that heats the house when there are lower electricity prices during the day, says Lakso.
Step three is to keep track.
– There are products that show whether electricity is expensive or not. They light up red or green during the time of day when electricity is cheap or expensive, so that the whole family knows when it is not time to heat the sauna, for example. They can be a good addition to apps.
