Dynamic electricity tariffs
in 2026: what changes —
and why solar communities win now.
From 2026, grid operators can make electricity more expensive when everyone needs it at once. No operator has introduced it yet. But it's coming. Anyone joining a solar community now is structurally advantaged — whatever the tariff does next.
Imagine your electricity costing twice as much at 7 in the morning as it does at 3 at night. And you only find out the evening before. That's how a fully dynamic electricity tariff works. Sounds unfair? From the grid's perspective it makes sense. From a consumer's perspective: it depends entirely on where your electricity comes from.
From 2026, Swiss grid operators can introduce comprehensive dynamic grid charges for the first time. Nobody has done it yet. But the legal foundation is there — and the incentives are growing as more heat pumps and electric vehicles come online. This article explains what it is, who will be affected, and why joining a solar community today was already the right call.
What “dynamic tariff” actually means
Today you pay roughly the same for every kilowatt-hour of electricity — whether you use it at 3 am or Monday morning at 8. The grid is priced as if peak demand always occurs. Everyone pays for that. Including those who barely use electricity during peak hours.
That changes with dynamic tariffs. The logic: when lots of people need electricity at the same time — and stress the grid simultaneously — that should cost more. Those who shift their usage (dishwasher at night, electric car at the weekend) pay less. Those who consume at peak time: more.
There are two types of dynamic tariffs: grid charges (what you pay for the network itself) and energy prices (what the electricity itself costs). The law permits dynamic grid charges from 2026. Energy pricing is set by suppliers. Both can vary together — and with some providers this is already happening.
Why the grid needs this change
Switzerland is electrifying. Heat pumps are replacing oil heating. Electric cars are replacing combustion engines. Switzerland is electrifying fast. On cold winter evenings, when heat pumps and electric vehicles run simultaneously, local grid load reaches levels the existing infrastructure was never designed for.
Two options: massively expand the grid — expensive, takes years. Or steer consumption so peak load is less extreme. Dynamic tariffs are the instrument for the latter. That's not theory, it's European energy policy, and Switzerland is following.
From 2026, dynamic tariffs must remain comparable to standard load profiles — you can't be forced onto an unfavourable tariff. But the option exists, and incentives for voluntary switching will grow.
“Those who control when they use electricity pay less. Those who can't — pay more. LEG members have the third option: they draw local solar electricity when the sun shines.”
What additionally changes from mid-2026 — the spot market switch
Who's more exposed — who's less?
How this looks for your household concretely
What the grid discount protects in practice
One aspect is often overlooked: the 20–40% grid discount in a LEG isn't only a saving. It's also structural protection against dynamic grid charges.
If grid operators introduce dynamic charges in the future — more expensive at peak hours, cheaper at night — the LEG discount applies to the entire local solar share, regardless of time of day. That means: the solar electricity you draw from your community doesn't carry a dynamic surcharge on the grid portion — even at peak time. You pay the LEG price — not the dynamic standard tariff.
Dynamic tariffs penalise inflexible consumption at peak times. LEG members draw solar electricity at midday — exactly when grid electricity would be cheapest anyway. The LEG discount makes the protection even stronger.
In short: joining a solar community gives you a structural advantage against dynamic tariffs — on your solar share. You still pay grid charges, but at a discount.
What you can concretely do now
You don't need to wait for dynamic tariffs to take action. The right time is now — not because panic is warranted, but because the LEG is law today and savings start immediately.
What else changes before the end of 2026
The energy year 2026 is not an endpoint — it's a turning point. Alongside dynamic grid charges and the spot market switch for feed-in, further changes are coming worth keeping on your radar.
Spot market switch for feed-in: From mid-2026, hourly compensation instead of quarterly reference price. Important for producers inside and outside LEGs.
Winter electricity bonus: New installations over 100 kW receive a bonus for winter output above 500 kWh/kW — additional incentive for alpine solar installations.
70% feed-in limit: Swiss law mandates a 70% feed-in cap for new installations from 2026 — stronger incentive for local consumption, and therefore for LEGs.
All of this points in the same direction: local consumption becomes more valuable. Grid feed-in becomes less attractive. The LEG isn't the future — it's the present that has already anticipated that future.
Dynamic tariffs are coming.
So are your savings.
Calculate now what the solar community in your municipality costs — and what it saves. Before the tariffs change.