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Amperecalc

Cost & footprint

Is switching really worth it?

The cheapest tariff in year one is rarely the cheapest in year two. This calculator puts both years side by side and shows the consumption at which the ranking flips.

How we calculate

Calculation model

  1. 01

    Annual cost is twelve monthly standing charges plus consumption times the unit rate.

  2. 02

    New-customer bonuses are attributed to the first year only and removed in the second.

  3. 03

    The crossover point between two tariffs is derived analytically from the difference in standing charge and unit rate.

  4. 04

    Every tariff is also converted to an effective price per kilowatt hour for direct comparison.

Good to know

  • A large bonus paired with a high unit rate is almost always the worse deal at high consumption.
  • Price guarantees usually cover only the procurement component, not taxes, levies and grid fees.
  • Below roughly 1,500 kWh the standing charge dominates — there it is worth looking at tariffs without one.

Law & subsidies

What applies in Switzerland

Regulation determines the limits and tariffs this calculator works with.

Households cannot switch supplier

Swiss households cannot choose their electricity supplier freely — you buy from the local basic supplier.

Market opening
from 100,000 kWh/year
Households
basic supply

In Switzerland the tariff calculator therefore compares product variants and consumption scenarios of your utility, not competing suppliers.

Show details

Only large consumers above 100,000 kilowatt hours a year may switch supplier. Households pay the tariff of their local utility, which is reviewed by ElCom.

What remains selectable are product variants from the same utility — green power surcharges, or dual tariffs with peak and off-peak periods. That, rather than switching supplier, is where the Swiss optimisation potential lies.

This compilation is orientation, not legal advice. Rules in this field change several times a year — check the linked primary source before you invest, or ask a certified specialist.
See all regulatory topics

Frequent questions

Answered briefly.

How often should I switch supplier?

Anyone chasing the new-customer bonus switches annually. It takes about fifteen minutes and saves many households €150 to €350 a year.

What is a dynamic tariff?

A tariff whose unit rate follows the hourly exchange price. It pays off if you can shift load — with a heat pump, battery or electric car. Without controllable loads the potential is small.

Does the standing charge really matter that much?

In small households, yes. At 1,200 kWh a year, a €5 monthly difference in standing charge is 5 cents per kilowatt hour — more than most unit rate differences.

Consumption audit

Consumption broken down appliance by appliance — with savings in euros.

Balcony solar calculator

Yield, self-consumption and savings for your postcode and orientation.

EV charging costs

At home, at a public charger, at a rapid charger — and against a combustion engine.

All results are model calculations based on your inputs and statistical reference data. They do not replace individual professional planning.

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