1. Check if your bill is based on an actual or estimated statement
Look on your bill for the words “estimated reading”, “estimate” or a symbol indicating that consumption has not been physically measured. If this is the case, your distributor has calculated your consumption based on your history — without reading your meter. Immediately compare the estimated reading with your actual meter. If the difference exceeds 5%, contact your DNO: they can make a correction statement or accept your self-reported figure via their customer portal.
2. Check that your price corresponds to your actual usage
The price applied to your invoice must correspond to your category of consumer (household, small professional, large consumer). A misclassification — especially when moving or changing status — can cause you to pay the wrong rate. Check the “rate type” or “category” line on your invoice and compare with what your DNO offers on its site for your profile. This error is rare but exists, particularly in municipalities with several pricing options.
3. Confirm the correct meter is associated with your address
In buildings, meters can sometimes be incorrectly labeled or mixed up during work. Result: you pay for your neighbor's consumption, and he pays for yours. Check: your invoice shows a “meter number” (PDL or EAN). Go to the building's meter panel and confirm that this number corresponds to your apartment. This confusion is more common than you might think in large buildings or after electrical work.
4. Check that the bi-hourly rate is applied if you requested it
If you have requested a bi-hourly rate (HP/HC), check that the bill shows TWO energy lines with different rates, and not just one uniform line. Switchover errors sometimes occur when changing meters or entering a new contract. If you only see one line even though you requested the dual schedule, you are probably being billed all during peak hours — an additional cost of CHF 50–200/year that you should not pay.
5. Compare your annual consumption with Swiss averages
Average Swiss consumption is 2 500–3 000 kWh/year for an apartment (2–3 people) and 4 500–6 000 kWh/year for a family home (4–5 people) without electric heating. If your consumption is significantly above these averages for no obvious reason (swimming pool, EV, electric heating), this may indicate faulty equipment, a current leak or a meter error. A faulty meter can count up to 20–30% more than actual consumption.
6. Check that your solar installation is correctly credited
If you have solar panels with grid injection, check that your bill or annual statement mentions a credit for the reinjected energy. The amount must correspond to the injected production × the official feed-in tariff of your DSO. Solar credit omission errors are possible, especially during the first year of operation. Compare with the production data of your inverter (Fronius application, FusionSolar, Enlighten) and the reading of your injection meter.
7. Check that taxes and fees correspond to official rates
The electricity bill includes several taxes: VAT, cantonal tax, network supplement and sometimes municipal taxes. Check the applicable VAT rate indicated by the AFC; the normal Swiss rate in force is 8.1%, unless services are subject to another rate. A clear invoice must distinguish the regulated items, the price of energy and the rate applied.
8. Request your complete 3-year statement history
Your DSO is required to provide you with the history of your meter readings upon request. Ask for the last 3 years. Consider whether consumption from year to year is consistent with your lifestyle. An unexplained jump of 800 kWh between two years without a change in habits (new tenant, device, EV) must be investigated. It could be a reading error, a meter that has run amok, or a device that has started to consume for an undetected reason.
9. Check that you are not paying charges for a former tenant
When you arrive in a new home, your DSO must have created a new contract in your name with an initialization statement (meter index on the date of your entry). If this statement was not made or was poorly communicated, you could pay the consumption accumulated by the previous tenant before the date of your entry. Check: the departure index on your first invoice must correspond to the state of the meter noted in your entry inventory.
10. Use the ElCom comparator to check that your rate is within the standard
The Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom) publishes an online price comparator (strompreis.elcom.admin.ch) which lists the prices of all Swiss DSOs for 2026. Enter your canton and your annual consumption: you will see if your DSO is average, above or below. If your GRD charges a significantly higher price than other GRDs in your canton for the same profile, this is useful information to understand your situation. This is not always an error (network costs vary structurally), but it can be a sign of an incorrect classification or incorrectly assigned tariff.