19 Nov 2025
How Stockholm Homeowners Are Saving €267 a Year on Peak Demand Fees
Viktor Olofsson
Spoiler: It's easier than you think, and it doesn't involve sitting in the dark
If you're like most people in Stockholm, you probably glanced at your last electricity bill, winced a little, and then filed it away with the thought "I should really do something about that." Well, here's some good news: you can actually do something about it, and it won't require you to become an energy engineer or stop using your appliances.
The Problem: Peak Demand Fees (And Why They're Hitting Your Wallet)
First, let's talk about what's actually making your energy bill so high. Most people think their electricity bill is just about how much power they use, but there's actually two separate charges on your bill:
1. Electricity Cost (Elhandel)
This is what you pay for the actual electricity you consume, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You buy this from your electricity retailer, and the price changes based on market conditions. This is the part you see advertised - "29 öre per kWh" or similar.
2. Grid Fees (Elnätsavgift)
This is what you pay to your grid provider (like Ellevio, Vattenfall Eldistribution, or E.ON) for transporting electricity to your home through the power lines. This is where peak demand fees come in, and this is the part that's catching many people by surprise.
Think of it like this: your grid provider doesn't just charge you for how much electricity travels through the wires to your home - they also charge you for the maximum amount of power you use at any single moment during the month.
It's like being charged extra because you took your longest shower of the month on a Tuesday.
Here's an example, for Ellevio customers in SE3 (Stockholm region), this peak demand fee is 81.25 kr per kilowatt (kW) during daytime hours, 06:00–22:00. If your household hits a 10 kW peak in one hour during the month - maybe you had the oven on, the washing machine running, and the car charging all at once - you'll pay for that 10 kW peak for the entire month, even if it only lasted an hour.
That's expensive. And most people have no idea when they're creating these peaks.
Why Do Peak Demand Fees Exist?
The peak demand fee (Effektavgift) exists to give customers an incentive to shift their electricity use to times when the grid is less congested, which is essential because if everyone cranks up their power usage at the same time - like when we all get home from work and start cooking, charging cars, and running appliances - the grid can't handle it.
It's like everyone trying to drive on the same highway at rush hour. To fix that without building massively expensive new power lines and substations, we need to spread out when we use electricity.
By 2045, Sweden's electricity consumption is expected to double. Rather than building a completely new grid infrastructure (which would cost billions and take decades), grid providers are using peak demand fees to encourage us to use the existing grid more efficiently.
How Peak Demand Fees Are Calculated
As an example, the grid operator Ellevio in Sweden’s SE3 area uses a relatively simple model:
They measure your power usage every hour
They find your three highest hourly peaks during the month
They calculate the average of those three peaks
They multiply that average by 81.25 kr
Example:
Peak 1: 9 kW (Monday evening, cooking dinner while car was charging)
Peak 2: 8 kW (Wednesday night, sauna + washing machine)
Peak 3: 10 kW (Saturday morning, everything running at once)
Average: (9 + 8 + 10) ÷ 3 = 9 kW
Monthly peak demand fee: 9 × 81.25 kr = 731.25 kr
That's over 700 kronor per month just for your peak usage, on top of what you pay for the electricity itself!
Bonus: Between 22:00-06:00, the grid company only counts half your peak usage, so night-time charging and running appliances can dramatically reduce your fees.
The Solution: Know Your Peaks, Control Your Costs
This is where Sourceful comes in. We make a small device called the Zap (software and firmware developed in Kalmar, Sweden) that connects to your home's P1 meter. Once connected, it talks to our free app on your phone, giving you real-time information about your electricity use and, most importantly, warning you before you create expensive peaks.
How Sourceful Helps You Avoid Peak Demand Fees
1. Real-Time Peak Monitoring
Sourceful continuously monitors your power usage and shows you exactly how close you are to creating a new monthly peak. You can see at a glance: "I'm currently using 6 kW, and my highest peak this month is 8 kW - I've got headroom."
2. Smart Peak Alerts
The Sourceful app will actually warn you when you're approaching a high peak. It's like having a friendly coach tapping you on the shoulder saying, "Hey, you've got a lot running right now - maybe wait an hour before starting the dishwasher?"
These aren't annoying constant notifications. The app is smart - it only alerts you when it actually matters.
3. Peak History & Insights
You can see exactly when your peaks happened and what caused them. "Oh, every time I charge the car while the oven is on, I create a 10 kW peak." Once you understand your patterns, avoiding peaks becomes second nature.
Real Results
With these tools, Sourceful customers are reducing their peak demand by an average of 3 kW per month. That might not sound like much, but remember - you're charged for your highest peak all month long. By keeping that peak down, you save money every single day.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Let's look at a real example from an SE3 customer:
Before Sourceful:
Average monthly peak: 9 kW
Peak demand fee: 9 × 81.25 kr = 731.25 kr/month
Annual cost: 8,775 kr
After Sourceful:
Average monthly peak: 6 kW (3 kW reduction)
Peak demand fee: 6 × 81.25 kr = 487.50 kr/month
Annual cost: 5,850 kr
Annual savings: 2,925 kr Monthly savings: 243 kr
And those savings grow steadily month by month as you learn your home's energy patterns and get better at avoiding peaks.
That's 2,925 kr you're not giving to your grid provider. That's a nice dinner out every month. That's a weekend trip with the family. That's real money back in your pocket.
Important note: Your actual savings will vary depending on your household and energy provider. This calculation is based on Ellevio SE3 customers with a peak demand tariff of 81.25 kr per kW, who achieved an average 3 kW peak reduction per month.
How to Actually Reduce Your Peaks (Practical Tips)
You don't need to change your lifestyle completely. Small shifts make a big difference:
Easy Wins:
Charge your EV overnight (remember, Ellevio only counts half the peak between 22:00-06:00!)
Don't run multiple high-power appliances at once - stagger your dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer
Preheat your hot water tank during off-peak times instead of having it heat on-demand
If You're More Advanced:
Set your EV charger to lower amperage (charge at 8A instead of 16A - it takes longer but cuts your peak in half)
Use smart plugs to automatically sequence high-power devices
If you have solar panels, use appliances during the day when you're producing power (reduces grid draw)
Consider a home battery to peak-shave automatically
Why This Works Especially Well If You Have:
✅ An electric car - Charging creates big peaks, but you have total flexibility on when you charge
✅ Electric heating - Heat pumps and electric radiators can often be scheduled or adjusted
✅ A sauna - Huge power draw, but completely flexible timing
✅ Solar panels - You can maximize self-consumption, reducing what you pull from the grid
✅ Smart appliances - Dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers can easily run at different times
A small hint: we are preparing to launch our premium service, which will handle all of this automatically as long as you have a compatible controllable energy resource at home such as an EV charger or a battery. More information coming soon.
The Investment
Here's what it costs to start saving:
Zap device: €39 (one-time purchase)
Sourceful app: Free (iOS and Android)
Delivery: Free
Risk: Zero (30-day money-back guarantee)
So for less than the cost of a tank of petrol, you get a device that pays for itself in about 6 weeks and then keeps saving you money month after month, year after year.
How to Get Started
Order your Zap for €39 at sourceful.energy/connect-your-home/
When it arrives, connect it to your P1 meter (it's really simple, takes about 5 minutes)
Download the free Sourceful Energy app for iOS and Android
Start getting alerts and watching those savings add up
If you're not completely satisfied, you have 30 days to return it for a full refund. But we're betting once you see how much money you're saving, you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.
The Bottom Line
Peak demand fees are here to stay - in fact, by 2027, all grid providers in Sweden must implement them. But that doesn't mean you're helpless. With a tiny bit of awareness and some smart timing, you can keep more of your hard-earned kronor in your wallet instead of sending it to your grid provider.
The Sourceful Zap gives you that awareness. The app makes it simple. And the savings? They're real, they're measurable, and they start immediately.
Ready to take control of your peak demand fees?
Get Your Zap Now - €39 with Free Delivery →
Disclaimer
Savings Vary by Customer and Provider
The savings example presented in this article (2,925 kr annually, 243 kr monthly) is based on specific conditions for Ellevio customers in the SE3 grid area (Stockholm region) as of January 2025. This calculation assumes:
A peak demand tariff of 81.25 SEK per kW during standard hours (06:00-22:00)
An average peak demand reduction of 3 kW per month achieved through the use of Sourceful's Zap device and app
The calculation uses Ellevio's effekttariff model, which charges based on the average of your three highest hourly peaks each month
Your actual savings will depend on:
Your specific grid provider and their tariff structure
Your current electricity consumption patterns
Your household's peak demand levels
Your ability to shift energy usage to off-peak hours
Seasonal variations in energy use
Different grid providers across Sweden use different peak demand tariff models, rates, and calculation methods. We recommend checking with your specific grid provider to understand how effekttariffer apply to your situation.
Sources:
Ellevio AB. (2024). "Ny prismodell baserad på effekt." Retrieved from: https://www.ellevio.se/abonnemang/ny-prismodell-baserad-pa-effekt/
Ellevio AB. (2024). "Våra abonnemang och priser." Retrieved from: https://www.ellevio.se/abonnemang/elnatspriser-privat/
Energi Media. (October 2024). "Så ska Ellevios effekttariffer jämna ut elanvändningen." Retrieved from: https://www.energi.se/artiklar/2024/oktober/sa-ska-ellevios-effekttariffer-jamna-ut-elanvandningen/
Prices and tariff structures are subject to change. Please consult your grid provider for the most current rates and terms.
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