Your electricity contract
Ditt elavtal - Engelska
There are several reasons why you might want to change your electricity contract and sign a contract with a different electricity company. Sometimes there may be lower-cost options that suit your finances better, and sometimes it may be the origin of the electricity that determines which electricity contract or electricity company you prefer.
Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
Keep these things in mind when choosing a new electricity contract
Find out if you have a fixed term or commitment period in your current electricity contract and what your notice of cancellation period is.
If you terminate your current contract early, there may be a cost.
Compare different electricity company before signing a new contract.
Find out how other consumers feel about their electricity company.
Terminate your current contract (preferably by e-mail) with your electricity supplier. It will not end automatically.
More about electricity contracts
If you have given a power of attorney to an electricity broker or an electricity intermediary, this means that they can enter into an electricity contract on your behalf. Such a power of attorney can be either written or oral.
How should the power of attorney be formulated?
The wording of the power of attorney determines what the company can do. Therefore, you should make sure that the company is only authorised to enter into "electricity contracts” on your behalf. You should also make sure that the power of attorney is limited in time. If no expiration date has been specified, in order for it to no longer be valid you will need to explicitly revoke the power of attorney.
Revoking a power of attorney
If you no longer want the holder of the power of attorney to be able to sign electricity contracts for you in your name, you need to revoke the power of attorney. By revoking the power of attorney you can prevent the authorisation from being used to enter into new contracts. This also applies to time-limited powers of attorney. This means that you have the right to revoke the power of attorney prior to its period of validity ending.
Revoke the power of attorney in writing
You should contact the company in writing (for instance by e-mail) to show that you have revoked the power of attorney. In addition, ask the company to confirm their receipt of your notification that the authorisation under the power of attorney has been revoked.
About power of attorney at the website ofSwedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau (In Swedish)
It is common for electricity contracts to have both a commitment period and a notice period.
Commitment period
A commitment period means that you are locked into the service for an agreed period of time. If you decide to withdraw from the contract before the end of the commitment period, the electricity provider may insist that you pay for the entire commitment period. In most situations you will receive a final bill for the full amount due for the remaining part of the commitment period.
Notice period
The notice period means that you need to give the company advance notice that you intend to cancel the contract. For example, if you have a two-month notice period, you will need to give notice two months before the date you want the contract to terminate.
The contract must specify the term of the commitment period and notice period. You can also contact your current electricity company to enquire about the duration of your contract and the terms and conditions.
Many electricity contracts are automatically extended unless you actively contact the company to terminate the contract. This can sometimes be the reason why you have been charged a contract cancellation fee or are unable to change your electricity supplier as you would like.
In order for the company to have the right to automatically renew the electricity contract the contract must include a clause stating that it will be automatically renewed. The company is also under an obligation to remind you of this before the contract extension.
About utomatic contract extensionat the website ofSwedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau (In Swedish)
When you are about to sign up for a new electricity contract, it is common for the electricity company to offer to assist you in terminating your current contract. However, it is advisable to independently contact your existing electricity company in writing, for example via email, to terminate the contract. This way, you can show when and that you have terminated the contract, and prevent any misunderstandings.
The electricity company cannot require you to give notice in any specific way, for example by phoning in your notice of cancellation.
Before you sign a new electricity contract, it is a wise to compare the different electricity providers on the market and the contracts they offer. Both the prices and the commitment/notice of cancellation periods and terms can differ greatly.
More detailed information at the website of the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau about comparing different electricity contracts (In Swedish)
Before you change your electricity supplier, it can be useful to look at feedback from other consumers about various electricity companies. The Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau maintains a list of the companies that have received the most complaints. Complaints may concern any of various different issues, such as incorrect bills and misleading marketing.
The list of companies at the website of the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau (In Swedish)
Elpriskollen.se
Elpriskollen.se is an independent price comparison site where you can compare different electricity contracts. The website is run by the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate. All electricity trading companies must submit their electricity contracts and prices to Elpriskollen.se for registration, which means that the website will have all available electricity contracts in its comparisons.
The website of Elpriskollen.se
If you are rang up by a salesperson soliciting a contract or a purchase and you accept the offer over the telephone, for the contract to be valid you must also confirm your acceptance in writing. In other words, it is not sufficient to agree during the telephone call, the requirement is that you also need to provide written acceptance after the telephone call.
This written confirmation can be made by SMS or e-mail. It is also acceptable to sign the contract with a Bank ID. If you have not agreed to the contract in writing, the contract is invalid and the electricity company cannot require you to pay anything. It is up to the electricity company to prove that you have accepted the contract in writing.
There is no requirement for a written confirmation when you, on your own initiative, call the electricity company.
About requirements for written confirmation on the website of the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau (In Swedish)
If you enter into an electricity contract via a distance/off-premises sale, for example online or over the telephone, you can exercise your right of withdrawal within 14 days. The 14 days begin counting the day after you entered the contract.
If the company has not properly informed you of your cooling-off period and the right of withdrawal, the cooling-off period can be extended up to one year.
If you want to exercise your right of withdrawal, it is a good idea to inform the company in writing, for example by e-mail. You will then have a written record that exercise your right of withdrawal and when.
Further information about the right of withdrawal on the website of the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau (In Swedish)
If you receive a invoice even though you have not agreed to a new electricity contract, or a invoice that you think is incorrect, you can dispute the invoice. You do this by writing to the electricity company and explaining that you do not intend to pay the invoice and why. It is important that you contest the invoice in writing so that you can prove that you disputed it and when.
At the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau, you can find tips that may be useful when disputing an invoice:
5 tips for disputing an invoice on the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau’s website (In Swedish)
In order for the electricity company to be allowed change the price, it must be stated in the terms and conditions. Therefore, read the terms and conditions if the company wants to make changes.
If an electricity company wants to make changes to an ongoing contract, known as a variable contract, the company must notify you of the change. Notification should be done by sending you a specific message. The message should state that you have the right to terminate the contract. The new terms cannot be applied until at least two months after the message has been sent.
Do you believe the electricity company is making an incorrect change, such as an unreasonable increase in the electricity price? Then you should start by complaining to them. Complain in writing, for example via email. This way, you can show what you have communicated and when
You can file a complaint with the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) if you and the company cannot reach an agreement. It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN.
Read more and file a complaint on ARN’s website
The principle rule is that contract must be kept by both you and the company. This means that both parties are bound by the agreement. But in some cases the company may have the right to cancel the agreement.
Force majeure
Force majeure is a legal term for unexpected or unforeseeable events, and is used for situations where it is impossible for the company to fulfill its part of the agreement.
There is no requirement that the contract should include which events are considered force majeure, but it is useful if it is included, and preferably as clearly as possible. Natural disasters, war, labor disputes and similar are often referred to as force majeure.
In order to be able to claim force majeure, it is required that there is a connection between the event and the breach of agreement. If the company claims force majeure, they need to be able to prove it.
Do you believe the electricity company is making an incorrect decision? Then you should start by complaining to them. Complain in writing, for example via email. This way, you can show what you have communicated and when.
You can file a complaint with the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) if you and the company cannot reach an agreement. It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN.
Read more and file a complaint on ARN’s website
If you have problems or questions about your electricity contract, you can contact the Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau. The Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau is an expert in consumer issues related to electricity, gas and district heating. They provide free and independent advice.
The Swedish Consumer Energy Markets Bureau website
The content on this page has been created in collaboration with one or more authorities and consumer agencies. The Swedish Consumer Agency collaborates with others in our mission to guide consumers.
