Vattenfall and Ellevio's Electricity Network Price Hikes Spark Political Backlash

Starting January 1, 2026, Swedish electricity network operators Vattenfall and Ellevio are implementing significant price increases, affecting around two million customers. Vattenfall is raising its fees by 14%, which means households with electric heating in villas will pay an additional 130 SEK per month, while apartments will see an increase of 35 SEK monthly. Ellevio's price hikes are approximately 10%, with fixed fees rising by 8% and variable fees by 12%.

The increases have drawn sharp criticism from political parties. Birger Lahti, energy policy spokesperson for the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet), condemned the repeated increments and called for accountability from Vattenfall's leadership, which his party has summoned to a parliamentary committee. He emphasized that these hikes disproportionately impact financially vulnerable households, adding about 1,500 SEK annually to network fees. Lahti also argued that Vattenfall's steady profitability—generating billions in profits yearly—raises questions about the justification for the fee increases, suggesting the government should expand its ownership of electricity networks to curb prices.

Daniel Helldén, from the Green Party (Miljöpartiet), criticized the price raises as unreasonable, asserting that consumers should not bear the costs of network expansion and blaming Energy and Business Minister Ebba Busch for enabling the hikes, dubbing them "Ebba Busch prices." Nooshi Dadgostar, leader of the Left Party, echoed these concerns, accusing the government of sanctioning excessive fees.

Defending the increases, Ebba Busch explained that the hikes are necessary to invest in infrastructure and address a backlog in network maintenance. She also announced a 20% cut in electricity tax starting next year to help mitigate household expenses.

With rising electricity network fees starting soon and mounting political pressure, the issue underscores the tension between infrastructure investment needs and consumer affordability in Sweden's energy sector.