The Törnblom family outside Heby pays up to a thousand kronor in effect fees some months, a charge energy minister Ebba Busch (KD) demands be removed. Local utility Sala-Heby Energy has had a similar fee since 2004 and has no plans to change it. The company argues the fee helps customers keep costs low.
The Törnblom family, living in a villa just outside Heby, is hit hard by effect fees on their electricity use. Some months, the fee reaches up to a thousand kronor, based on simultaneous power usage. “It feels like a stab in the back to want to give your children warm food at certain times,” says Li Törnblom about the impact on families with young children. Sala-Heby Energy introduced a form of effect fee back in 2004, charging 135 kronor per kilowatt. Network manager Andreas Ringvall defends the model: “It allows customers to influence their grid costs to a high degree. Overall, our grid fee is incredibly cheap right now.” Energy Minister Ebba Busch (KD) has been clear. Last week, she stated: “If grid companies thought last week's signal was unclear, let me be crystal clear: Remove the tariffs.” The government has decided to scrap effect fees in their current form, replacing them with a simpler, fairer model, with proposals due in April 2027. The effect fee is measured as the highest hourly average power (kW) over a month, aiming to even out usage to protect the grid, in line with EU rules. The Energy Markets Inspectorate required implementation by January 1, 2027, but interpretations differ. Of Sweden's around 170 grid companies, 30 to 50 have already introduced such fees. Sala-Heby Energy follows the inspectorate's guidelines but acknowledges it may need to adjust. Ringvall adds: “In the long term, it allows us to keep fees low by using the grid smarter, and customers need some incentive.”
