Electricity tariffs in Norway: spot prices, support and your bill
Information checked:
In this guide
The cheapest bar on the chart is not always the cheapest time for your household. Your electricity contract, support scheme and network tariff all matter. Start with those three checks before changing when you charge your car or heat your home.
Check your area, contract and meter
Use your contract's price area—NO1, NO2, NO3, NO4 or NO5—not a national average. Area prices also matter when comparing support choices. NVE: choosing Norgespris.
A spot contract follows the agreed market-price formula. A supplier's fixed-price contract fixes the energy rate for a contractual period; a standard variable contract is a different product again. Norgespris is a government settlement scheme, not an electricity supply contract. You still need a supplier. NVE: electricity contracts; Ministry of Energy: Norgespris questions.
Check whether your meter is hourly or 15-minute settled in Elhub, then ask your supplier which price interval it bills. A quarter-hour chart does not establish your household's billing method. If the bill uses one hourly rate, moving the same consumption within that hour does not change that energy charge. Elhub: meter information.
Strømstøtte and Norgespris change the comparison
In 2026, ordinary household strømstøtte covers 90% of the hourly area spot price above 77 øre/kWh before VAT, based on eligible consumption. Do not apply that formula to a monthly average. NVE: ordinary electricity support.
Norgespris uses 40 øre/kWh before VAT, or 50 øre where 25% VAT applies, through 31 December 2026. Network charges, taxes and supplier additions remain separate. Ministry of Energy: Norgespris.
Ordinary support covers homes up to 5,000 kWh/month, not holiday homes. Norgespris has monthly limits of 5,000 kWh for a home and 1,000 kWh for a holiday home. Choosing it binds the meter through 31 December 2026 after the 14-day cancellation period. NVE: scheme comparison.
You cannot receive both schemes for the same meter. Above the Norgespris consumption limit, the supplier contract determines the energy charge. When the reference spot price is below Norgespris, the scheme adds a charge rather than a credit. NVE: Norgespris FAQ.
For a spot contract matching the scheme's reference and eligible consumption, Norgespris offsets that reference-price variation. Shifting consumption just to follow a lower spot price then does not produce the raw saving shown by the chart. This is not a promise about every contract: ask for a combined calculation if your supplier uses a fixed or different pricing formula. Network timing and avoiding simultaneous high loads may still help.
A worked example: the chart's spread is not your saving
Consider two hypothetical hourly spot prices, excluding VAT. Assume ordinary support eligibility, consumption within the cap and a matching hourly spot contract. Supplier and network charges are excluded.
| Spot price | Support: 90% above 77 | Energy after support |
|---|---|---|
| 150 øre/kWh | 65.7 øre/kWh | 84.3 øre/kWh |
| 100 øre/kWh | 20.7 øre/kWh | 79.3 øre/kWh |
Moving 10 kWh from the first hour to the second reduces this energy component by NOK 0.50 before VAT, not NOK 5.00. That follows from 10 × (0.843 − 0.793). Below the support threshold, the calculation changes; crossing the threshold requires calculating both hours separately. This is an illustration, not a savings forecast.
For a fair annual comparison, use your own consumption throughout the year, the correct area and the relevant support rules. A low summer average alone cannot decide which arrangement suits a home with substantial winter heating.
Compare supplier additions, not just the word “spot”
These are selected examples checked on 10 September 2026, not a ranking or a complete supplier list. Confirm the VAT treatment for your address before comparing the figures.
| Supplier and product | Published additions | Important check |
|---|---|---|
| Tibber Smart strømavtale | Up to 3.40 øre/kWh plus NOK 49/month, including VAT where applicable. | The current standard product has no binding or exit fee. Do not confuse it with the discontinued zero-monthly-fee EV product. Tibber price list |
| Fjordkraft Strøm til Spotpris | Advertised 5.9 øre/kWh plus NOK 69/month. | Confirm VAT basis in your dated offer; it was not explicit for this row in the retrieved list. Compare ongoing fees, invoice method and optional services, not a separate promotion or membership product. Fjordkraft price list |
A monthly fee matters more at low consumption. As an invented example on an identical tax basis, NOK 49/month with no margin and NOK 0/month plus NOK 0.05/kWh have equal additions at 980 kWh/month. This compares only fees, not actual offers or total bills.
Network charges and taxes need their own check
Ask your network operator which consumption peaks determine your capacity step and whether its energy charge changes by time of day. Elvia, for example, publishes capacity steps and different day versus night/weekend rates. Those are Elvia's terms, not a national tariff, and its displayed household rates already include taxes. Do not add those taxes twice. Elvia: household network prices.
The ordinary 2026 electricity excise is 7.13 øre/kWh before VAT; exemptions need a separate eligibility check. Skatteetaten: electricity excise. Household electricity in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark is VAT-exempt. A bidding-zone code is not itself a tax eligibility test. Skatteetaten: household electricity VAT exemption.
Running the car charger, water heater and other large loads together can create a higher measured peak. Staggering them may reduce the network charge if it changes the peaks your operator actually bills. Lowering one isolated peak is not a guaranteed saving. A green or negative spot-price bar also does not remove network charges or taxes.
Before changing your contract or schedule
- Confirm your area, metering interval and supplier settlement formula.
- Check the support choice on the specific meter, including a holiday home's separate eligibility and consumption limit.
- Compare supplier fees over a full year, including the price after promotions, exit conditions and optional services.
- Check the network tariff separately. Use safe charging equipment and preserve heating comfort; do not increase consumption merely to chase cheap prices.
- If using a NOK-converted chart, distinguish its displayed exchange-rate conversion from your supplier's contractual NOK settlement. Neither is automatically the final household price.
Sources and review date
The linked regulator, ministry, Elhub, tax-authority, network-operator and supplier sources were checked on 10 September 2026. Rates refer to the periods explicitly stated. Examples are calculations, not personalized offers. Recheck rules for 2027 and later rather than extending the 2026 support terms automatically.