NEWS A new research project at Umeå University will investigate how Swedish households are affected by and adapt to effect-based electricity network tariffs. It focuses in particular on low-income households and older adults – groups that may have less flexibility to adjust their electricity use and therefore risk higher costs.
Laundry timing could become a cost issue.
ImageJohnér BIldbyrå ABThe project has received SEK 8.7 million in funding from the Swedish Energy Agency and comes at a highly relevant moment. In March 2026, the Swedish government paused the nationwide requirement for all grid companies to introduce effect-based tariffs and asked the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate to develop a new model. At the same time, such tariffs are already in use in parts of the country, and the broader need to shift electricity consumption to different times remains central as Sweden’s electricity system faces rising demand and continued electrification.
“We will investigate how different households perceive, understand and respond to effect-based tariffs in everyday life. A central ambition is to identify where the model may create barriers or unequal outcomes, and how policy and practice can be improved so that more households can adapt without increased stress, discomfort, or economic burden”, says Weizhuo Lu, project leader and professor at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics.
Previous studies show that households’ ability to respond to new price signals varies. Financial resources, housing conditions, health and digital literacy all influence how easily people can manage and shift their electricity use.
“One example is an elderly household that needs to keep the home warm or cool for health reasons and therefore cannot shift its electricity use to other times. Another is a low-income family in an older home without smart technology, where cooking, laundry and heating often take place at the same time in the evening. In such cases, the tariff may lead to higher costs, even though the household is already trying to keep its total electricity use low”, says Weizhuo Lu.
The project is carried out through the Intelligent Human-Buildings Interaction (IHBI) Lab at Umeå University, where researchers study the interaction between people, buildings and energy systems. The study is based on controlled experiments in which participants from different types of households act in simulated everyday situations – such as cooking, heating or charging – while encountering different tariff signals. The aim is to understand people’s behaviour, experiences and constraints, rather than solely analysing electricity consumption retrospectively.
The results will be translated into practical recommendations and decision-support tools for policymakers, grid companies, municipal energy and climate advisors, and housing stakeholders. This may include guidance on how electricity network tariffs can be designed more fairly, as well as advice and support materials to help households adapt their electricity use.
The project “Fairness and inclusion in the energy transition: Household adaptation to Sweden’s new capacity-based tariff” runs from 2026 to 2030 and is led by Weizhuo Lu at Umeå University. The project team also includes Louise Eriksson and Chanachok Chokwitthaya.
