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Switching electricity contract (byta elavtal)

What applies when you switch electricity contract in Sweden: who does what, notice and binding periods, the right of withdrawal, moving house and what is on the bill. Every section rests on the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate (Ei), the Swedish Consumers' Energy Markets Bureau (Energimarknadsbyrån), the Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) or the law itself, linked under the section.

Sources checked 11 October 2026

How a switch works

You have two electricity contracts: a supply contract (elhandelsavtal) for the electricity you use, and a grid contract (elnätsavtal) for getting it delivered to you. You choose the supplier yourself; the grid company is set by where you live. The supply contract is the one you switch.

  1. You sign a contract with the supplier you want to switch to, for example on the supplier's website or by phone.
  2. The new supplier notifies your grid company of the switch.
  3. The grid company reads your meter, sends the reading to both the old and the new supplier, and tells the old supplier that you have switched.
  4. The grid company tells you the switch is registered, for example on its customer pages (Mina sidor) or by e-mail: the date of the switch, the supplier taking over, your facility ID (anläggnings-id), area ID (områdes-id) and meter number.

The new supplier starts supplying on the date in the contract. You can only have one supplier at a time, and your power is not cut off when you switch.

Under the Electricity Act (ellagen) you must be able to switch supplier within three weeks of asking, and the switch itself must be free of charge. The supplier you leave has to send a final invoice within six weeks of the day its supply ended. The Electricity Market Act (elmarknadslagen), which replaces the Electricity Act on 1 January 2027, has the same rules. According to Ei, a supplier may not charge a set-up or one-off fee when you sign a contract either.

What you need

The contract has to be signed by the person named on the grid contract: the same person must hold both the grid contract and the supply contract.

Your invoices show which supplier and which grid company you have. On the supply invoice the supplier also has to state the identification code of your delivery point, made up of your area ID (områdes-id) and your facility ID (anläggnings-id).

Once you have signed, you should get a written confirmation and a short summary of the main terms. Check that the details and the start date are right.

Cancelling the old contract

According to the Swedish Consumer Agency, your current supply contract does not end automatically when you sign a new one. The new supplier sometimes handles the cancellation, but the agency recommends cancelling the old contract yourself, in writing, for example by e-mail, so that you can show that and when you did. The supplier cannot require you to cancel in a particular way, such as by phone.

Your notice period is in the contract terms.

If the supplier wants to change the terms of an open-ended contract, such as the price of a variable-price contract, you must get a separate notice no later than two months before the change applies, stating that you have the right to cancel the contract.

Binding period and notice period

A binding period (bindningstid) means you are tied to the contract for a set time. The notice period (uppsägningstid) is how far in advance you must cancel: with two months' notice you cancel two months before you want the contract to end. Both have to be stated in the contract.

According to Energimarknadsbyrån, a contract with a variable (monthly) price may not have a binding period or a notice period longer than three months.

A contract can be renewed automatically if its terms say so. No earlier than 90 and no later than 60 days before a fixed-term contract ends, the supplier has to tell you when it ends and what happens then – including by when you must give notice and the terms of any new contract.

The comparison tables on this site show the binding period of every fixed-price contract and, under Notice period, the contract's notice period where Elpriskollen states it. For an assigned contract they show the legal limit, at most 14 days. The contract terms are what count.

Leaving a fixed-price contract early

If you cancel a fixed-term contract with a fixed price before it has run out, the supplier may charge a fee, an early-exit fee (brytavgift, sometimes called lösenavgift). The fee may only be charged if the contract clearly says it can be and what it covers, and the contract has to state how it is calculated.

Under the Electricity Act the fee may only cover costs relating to the electricity supplied at a fixed price. It must be reasonable and may not exceed the direct financial loss the early cancellation causes. According to Ei the supplier may not use a standard flat fee and may not charge for lost profit. For a mixed contract the fee may only cover the fixed part.

The 14-day right of withdrawal

If you sign at a distance – online or by phone – you have a 14-day right of withdrawal under the Distance Contracts Act (lagen om distansavtal). According to the Swedish Consumer Agency the period starts the day after you signed. The contract confirmation has to include information about the right of withdrawal.

If the supplier has not informed you about the right of withdrawal as required, the period does not start, but the right ends no later than one year after the normal period would have ended.

If you withdraw, tell the supplier in writing, for example by e-mail, so that you can show when you did. If you expressly asked for supply to start during the withdrawal period, you may have to pay for the electricity already supplied, in proportion to the agreed price.

If a seller calls you, saying yes on the phone is not enough: the contract only becomes valid once you have accepted it in writing after the call, for example by text message, e-mail or BankID. If you call the supplier yourself, this requirement does not apply.

Moving house

When you move out, both the grid contract and the supply contract have to be ended – a change of address is not enough. Cancel the grid contract at least one month before you move and the supply contract at least 14 days before, unless something else has been agreed. If the contracts are not ended they keep running, and you pay for the electricity used in your old home.

Whether your supply contract can be ended when you move, or moves with you to the new address, is set out in its terms.

When you move in, you sign a grid contract with the grid company where the home is – you cannot choose it – and a supply contract with the supplier you choose. This does not happen automatically, so sign both in good time before you move in. If electricity is included in your rent, you need no contracts of your own.

If you do not choose a contract

If you use electricity without having signed a supply contract, for example after moving in, the grid company assigns a supplier to you. You then pay for the electricity on that supplier's terms until you choose another contract yourself. An assigned contract (anvisat avtal) may have a notice period of at most 14 days.

The system of assigned contracts is wound up on 1 July 2027.

Assigned prices by price area →

What is on the bill?

The bill has two parts, supply and grid. They come on two invoices, one from the supplier and one from the grid company, or on one combined invoice that shows them separately. VAT is added to everything.

The supply invoice covers the electricity you use. Since 1 January 2025 it has to show the price split into price components, which depend on the contract type: on a fixed price the fixed energy price and the fixed fee; on a variable price the average spot price, variable costs, fixed markups and the fixed fee; on an hourly or quarter-hourly price the spot price, variable costs, fixed markups and the fixed fee. Suppliers also have to buy electricity certificates (elcertifikat) in proportion to their customers' consumption, and that cost can be part of the supply charge.

The grid invoice covers the transport: a fixed subscription fee that depends on the size of your main fuse, and a transfer fee per kWh. Some grid companies also charge a capacity fee (effektavgift) that depends on how much electricity you use at the same time; since June 2026 grid companies are no longer required to have one, but it is not prohibited. You pay the energy tax on the grid invoice.

The comparison prices on this site cover the supply part only: the grid fee and energy tax are not included.

The lines on the bill, per kWh →Quarter-hourly price →Energy tax →

Where to compare

The comparison tables list the contracts by price area, sorted by comparison price at the consumption you pick. Most prices come from Elpriskollen; for some suppliers we also take the prices directly from their own price pages.

Elpriskollen is the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate's comparison service for electricity contracts. Every supplier selling to customers with an annual consumption of up to 100,000 kWh has to report its fixed and variable contracts there, and you can compare prices and terms and choose contracts by energy source and certification.

Every supplier also has to state where its electricity comes from (origin labelling, ursprungsmärkning). If you do not choose a contract with a guaranteed origin, you get electricity from the so-called residual mix (residualmix).

Fixed price →Variable price →Hourly and quarter-hourly →Mixed price →Assigned →Elpriskollen ↗

Compare contracts in your price area →Always check the price with the supplier before signing.

Questions about switching contracts

How do I switch electricity contract?

You sign a contract with the supplier you want to switch to. The new supplier notifies your grid company, which reads the meter and tells both you and the old supplier. Your old contract does not end automatically, so cancel it, and first check whether it has a binding period.

Do I have to cancel my old contract when I switch?

Yes. According to the Swedish Consumer Agency the old contract does not end automatically. The new supplier sometimes handles the cancellation, but the agency recommends cancelling the contract yourself in writing, for example by e-mail, so that you can show that and when you did.

How long does it take to switch electricity contract?

Under the Electricity Act the supplier has to make sure you can switch within three weeks of asking. The new supplier starts supplying on the date in the contract. Energimarknadsbyrån recommends timing the switch to the binding and notice periods of your current contract, so that you avoid an early-exit fee.

Can I switch without paying a fee?

The switch itself must be free of charge, and according to Ei a supplier may not charge a set-up fee when you sign a contract. If you leave a fixed-term, fixed-price contract early, the supplier may charge an early-exit fee if the contract clearly says so. The fee may not exceed the direct financial loss the cancellation causes.

What is the difference between a binding period and a notice period?

The binding period is how long you are tied to the contract. The notice period is how far in advance you must cancel it: with two months' notice you cancel the contract two months before you want it to end. Both have to be stated in the contract.

Can I withdraw from an electricity contract?

Yes, if you signed it at a distance, for example online or by phone. You then have a 14-day right of withdrawal, and according to the Swedish Consumer Agency the period starts the day after you signed. Tell the supplier in writing that you are withdrawing.

What happens to my contract when I move?

Both the grid contract and the supply contract have to be ended; a change of address is not enough. Cancel the grid contract at least one month and the supply contract at least 14 days before you move, unless something else has been agreed. Whether the supply contract can be ended or moves with you is in its terms. In the new home you sign new contracts; if you do not, you get an assigned contract.

All sources (in Swedish)