For a household in a five-room apartment with an electric stove and tumble dryer, an annual consumption of 4,500 kilowatt hours (ElCom consumption category H4) and the standard Energy Blue product, the total price of BKW electricity will fall by around CHF 7.90 per month or CHF 95 per year as of 1 January 2027 (-7.6 percent). The actual price adjustment for each customer depends on their individual consumption.
For customers with basic supply, electricity bills comprise the energy tariff, the grid usage tariff and the metering tariff, along with federal, cantonal and municipal levies.
Significantly lower energy tariff, rising grid usage tariff
From 1 January 2027, BKW is reducing energy tariffs for basic supply by 2.92 centimes per kilowatt hour (CHF/kWh), or around 29 percent. BKW mainly supplies its basic supply customers with electricity from its own power plants, so its tariffs are based on the production costs of these plants, which have recently fallen. Also contributing to the tariff reduction are the removal of «coverage differentials» (customer credits from previous tariff years), reduced balance energy costs and a lower WACC for large-scale hydropower (imputed interest rate on invested capital).
In contrast, the grid usage tariff – which funds operation and maintenance of electricity grids – will increase by 5.9 percent in the coming year. In 2025, BKW invested more than CHF 180 million in the restructuring and expansion of the distribution grid to facilitate the energy transition, as well as in digitalisation. This was offset by lower costs for the federal government’s electricity reserve and the system services of Swissgrid, as well as the falling WACC for the electricity grids. For the H4 consumption profile, the grid usage tariff will increase by a total of CHF 0.66/kWh. The metering tariff will also increase by CHF 0.16/kWh, primarily due to extensive investment in the smart meter rollout.
In most municipalities: 25.6 centimes per kilowatt hour
Together, these changes reduce the price of electricity by 7.6 percent (CHF 0.21/kWh) for the H4 consumption profile. In 2027, this will put the price per kilowatt hour of electricity at 25.6 centimes, based on the municipal tax rate of CHF 0.15/kWh levied in most municipalities in the BKW supply area. However, depending on the consumption profile, the actual price per kilowatt hour may be higher or lower. Further information on electricity tariffs for basic supply at BKW in 2027 can be found at www.bkw.ch/tarife.
Dynamic grid usage tariff: «Sonne scheint»
BKW is offering its private and commercial customers a dynamic grid usage tariff for the first time in 2027. In the warmer months – between April and September – grid usage tariff discounts of up to 40 percent will apply on sunny afternoons between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. If light cloud cover is forecast, the discount will generally be 20 percent. To ensure that all households benefit equally, the level of the discount will be adjusted to reflect regional conditions. The discount is higher in regions with less sunlight; in sunnier regions it is lower but can be claimed on more days in the year. This model is based on historical weather data from selected MeteoSwiss stations.
Based on the weather forecast by «Meteo Schweiz», BKW will announce the day before if a discount window is opening in the five regions. This information will be published at bkw.ch/sonnescheint.
Incentive to use PV electricity
With photovoltaic production expanding, the «Sonne scheint» product encourages customers to use energy when it is readily available. Energy management systems can help here: they receive the price signal and ensure that large consumers such as electric cars, heat pumps and boilers use electricity within the discount window.
Participation in «Sonne scheint» is voluntary, but participants must have a smart meter. Customers will receive a letter with information on registration options in autumn. They have the option of returning to the classic tariff model at the start of each calendar year.