Danish households are paying less for electricity in September 2026 than a year earlier, even though prices reached their highest level since December 2022. The reason is a sharp cut in the electricity tax at the start of the year.
According to DR, most households will receive a September bill that is lower than last year’s. The calculation was made for DR by Asger Wilhelm Dalsjö, macroeconomic analyst at Danske Bank.
The calculation compares Monday’s prices with the same weekday last year, using average consumption. It covers several household types, from single people to families.
A lower tax offsets the highest prices since 2022
The electricity tax was reduced to 0.8 øre per kilowatt hour at the turn of the year. In 2025 it stood at 72.7 øre per kilowatt hour, DR reports.
Separate reporting by DR puts September’s average raw price at DKK 1.07 per kilowatt hour east of the Great Belt and DKK 1.05 west of it. That is the highest monthly level since December 2022, during the energy crisis that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prices had already climbed over the summer, when Danish electricity prices hit a four-year summer high.
Per Dalsjö, the saving has been significant during 2026 but is getting smaller. He points to unrest around the Strait of Hormuz as one factor pushing energy prices up. As he told DR, the market is approaching a level where the tax cut simply neutralizes the price increase.
As reported by Politiken, September’s high prices were also driven by weak wind, limited solar production and higher gas prices. The reduced electricity tax currently applies until December 31, 2027.
Winter tariffs start October 1
From October 1, the electricity grid companies add winter tariffs to the bill. These make it more expensive to run a dishwasher or tumble dryer during peak hours, typically between 17:00 and 21:00. They also widen the swings in the consumer price of electricity across the day.
The tariffs vary considerably between grid companies, according to a comparison cited by DR from the price site Eltjek24. For that reason, Dalsjö cannot say exactly what they mean for the average household calculations.
Because the winter tariffs return every year, they do not necessarily change the conclusion that bills are cheaper than last year at current price levels, he notes. As stated by Dalsjö, a household that ignores the higher tariffs entirely can see the saving from the low tax wiped out. Households that plan their consumption will feel less of an effect.
What the tax cut and winter tariffs mean for international residents
A Danish electricity bill has several layers. There is the raw market price for the power, the tariffs charged by the local grid company, known as the elnetselskab, and then taxes and VAT. The elafgift, the electricity tax, is the part that fell from 72.7 øre to 0.8 øre per kilowatt hour in January 2026, and DR reports it is scheduled to stay low until the end of 2027. Newcomers can find more background on how electricity and energy in Denmark are billed.
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If you moved to Denmark within the past year, your September bill may still look higher than expected, because the raw price is at its highest since December 2022. The part that has fallen is the tax, not the market price. From October 1, the grid tariff on your bill rises during the evening peak, which DR identifies as roughly 17:00 to 21:00, and the exact amount depends on which grid company covers your address.
