Best electricity plan for heat pumps in 2026: Compare Tibber vs Skellefteå Kraft vs Vattenfall

The right heat pump electricity plan can make a big difference to your monthly budget – but only if you understand how the contract type and the heat pump’s technology work together. In this guide, we go through the key concepts you need to know, how different heat pumps affect electricity costs and which electricity plan for heat pump 2026 is best depending on your household.

If you want to compare current plans right away, you can start by comparing electricity plans at Wipick.

Key concepts for heat pump owners

The right heat pump electricity plan can make a big difference to your monthly budget – but only if you understand how the contract type and the heat pump’s technology work together. Here are four concepts you need to know before comparing electricity plans for heat pumps 2026.

Hourly price plan

With an hourly price plan, you pay the electricity price that applies hour by hour on the Nord Pool electricity exchange, plus a fixed markup or a fixed monthly fee. The price can vary significantly during the day – electricity is often cheapest at night and more expensive during morning and evening peaks.

It is exactly this variation that creates savings potential for heat pump owners. Hourly price plans can allow heat pump owners to automate heating during the cheapest hours of the day, which in turn can reduce electricity costs.

For you as a heat pump owner, hourly pricing is especially interesting if you have:

• a smart heat pump
• a smart thermostat
• the ability to control heating through an app
• an electric car or other flexible electricity usage
• an interest in optimising your electricity consumption

If you want to understand how different contract types work, you can read more in our guide to fixed vs variable electricity prices.

COP value

COP stands for Coefficient of Performance and indicates how efficient the heat pump is. A COP value of 3 means that each kilowatt-hour of electricity provides around three kilowatt-hours of heat.

A heat pump can reduce a household’s energy use for heating and hot water by up to 75–80% compared with direct electric heating. The higher the COP, the more worthwhile it becomes to run the heat pump during cheaper hours.

However, an efficient heat pump with the wrong electricity plan can still become more expensive than necessary. That is why you should compare both the heat pump’s efficiency and which electricity plan suits your consumption profile.

Load control

Load control is the technology that allows your heat pump to automatically shift heating to the hours when the spot price is lowest.

Smart control systems – often via an app – collect price forecasts and schedule operation without you having to do anything manually. The result can be a lower electricity bill without reduced comfort.

For households with hourly price plans, load control can be one of the most important features for getting the maximum value from a heat pump electricity plan.

Grid benefit

The grid fee you pay to your grid owner is partly based on your consumption pattern. By evening out consumption, avoiding peaks and concentrating operation during low-load periods, you can gain better control over your total electricity cost.

This is often referred to as grid benefit and is an overlooked part of the total saving. For heat pump owners, this becomes especially important because heating often accounts for a large share of the household’s electricity consumption during winter.

Do you want to understand how different contract types suit your consumption profile? Read more about how to choose the right electricity plan before making a decision.

Once you understand these four concepts, you are ready to compare actual plans – and see which one can really give the lowest cost for your heat pump.

Comparison: The 3 best electricity plans for heat pumps in 2026

Finding the best electricity plan for heat pump 2026 option is not just about the lowest markup. It is about matching the contract type with how your heat pump actually uses electricity.

Since an average house often has high annual consumption, even small differences in average price, markup and monthly fee can make a big difference over a full year. Below, we compare three providers based on the factors that actually affect your electricity bill.

Tibber – best for smart heat pumps and hourly pricing

Tibber is the obvious first choice if your heat pump supports smart control. An hourly price plan through the app can move consumption to the lower prices at night, which gives the greatest savings when price movements are large.

The markup is effectively zero – instead, you pay a fixed monthly fee. For heat pump owners who want to use technology to optimise their electricity consumption, Tibber is therefore a very interesting option.

Why Tibber suits heat pumps

• Hourly price plan that works well with smart control.
• App that makes it easier to follow electricity prices and consumption.
• Ability to move consumption to cheaper hours.
• Especially relevant for geothermal heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps.
• Suitable for those who want to optimise actively.

Things to consider

Tibber is best suited if you can actually control your consumption. If the heat pump runs a lot during expensive hours, hourly pricing may be less beneficial. That is why the technology and control options are crucial.

Wipick’s verdict: Tibber is best for those who have a smart heat pump and want to use hourly pricing to automate heating during the cheapest hours of the day.

Sign up with Tibber

Skellefteå Kraft – best for renewable electricity and stability

Skellefteå Kraft suits those who want renewable electricity without actively optimising consumption times. The plan is easy to understand and the price level remains competitive even without advanced app control.

For households with a heat pump and steady base consumption, Skellefteå Kraft can be a reliable choice, especially if you prioritise stability, clear terms and renewable electricity.

Why Skellefteå Kraft suits heat pumps

• Reliable and established provider.
• Clear renewable profile.
• Suitable for houses with steady base consumption.
• Good option for those who want simplicity.
• Relevant if you do not want to optimise every hour.

Things to consider

If your heat pump has smart control and you want to maximise savings through hourly pricing, Tibber may be more relevant. But if you want a reliable and renewable overall choice, Skellefteå Kraft is a strong alternative.

Wipick’s verdict: Skellefteå Kraft suits those who want renewable electricity and a stable electricity plan that works well for houses with heat pumps.

Sign up with Skellefteå Kraft

Vattenfall – best for high-consumption households and contract flexibility

Vattenfall is the right choice for those with high total consumption or those who prefer to choose an electricity plan from a large and established provider. Vattenfall offers several contract types, making them relevant for households that want to choose between variable, fixed and hourly pricing.

For heat pump owners, this flexibility can be an advantage, especially if you want to choose a plan based on how active you want to be in managing your electricity use.

Why Vattenfall suits heat pumps

• Large and established provider.
• Several different contract types.
• Suitable for households with high electricity consumption.
• Relevant if you want reliability.
• Good option if you want to choose between fixed, variable and hourly pricing.

Things to consider

Vattenfall is a reliable provider, but not always the cheapest. That is why you should always compare total price, markup, monthly fee and binding period before making a decision.

You can also compare electricity plans at Wipick before making your choice.

Wipick’s verdict: Vattenfall suits those who want reliability, several contract types and an established provider for a household with high electricity consumption.

Sign up with Vattenfall

Choose an hourly price plan if your heat pump is smart-compatible – otherwise, the total markup determines which option gives the lowest annual bill.

If you want to compare more options, you can compare electricity plans at Wipick.

Which type of heat pump is most efficient with the right plan?

The choice of electricity plan for heat pump 2026 is often more important than many people think when it comes to long-term operating costs. That is true – but the type of heat pump determines how much room for optimisation you actually have.

Geothermal and air-to-water heat pumps – best suited for hourly price control

Geothermal heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps have high output and often run for several hours at a time. This makes them ideal for hourly price control.

A smart control unit can schedule heating to the cheapest hours of the day. In practice, you can move a large share of electricity consumption to night or morning hours when the spot price is often lower.

How much you save depends on your consumption, your heat pump, the electricity price and which electricity zone you are in.

Air-to-air heat pump vs direct electric heating – a huge cost difference

Air-to-air heat pumps usually deliver several times more heat per kilowatt-hour of electricity than direct electric heating, while direct electric heating gives roughly a 1:1 ratio. With a variable or hourly price plan, the savings can be further strengthened – every cheap hour is used to the maximum.

The electricity plan matters more than the brand in the long-term calculation

The heat pump brand affects efficiency, but the wrong plan can wipe out that gain. A geothermal heat pump with an hourly price plan and smart control can often beat an expensive premium installation with an unsuitable fixed price plan.

That is why Wipick helps you compare electricity plans based on your home, electricity zone and consumption. For heat pump owners, this is especially important because heating often accounts for a large share of the household’s electricity cost.

Summary: How to choose the right option for your home

A careful heat pump and electricity plan comparison 2026 always leads to the same conclusion: the right plan depends entirely on your technical setup and how active you want to be in managing your electricity use.

There is no universal solution – but there is a right choice for your home.

Key conclusions

• Choose hourly pricing if your heat pump has smart control or thermostat control – you can automatically move consumption to cheaper hours and save money over time.

• Choose a variable monthly price if you prefer predictability and do not want to keep track of spot price fluctuations around the clock – the plan gives reasonable market exposure without technical requirements.

• Always compare based on your address – grid fees and available plans vary depending on which electricity zone you are in. A plan that is profitable in Malmö may be worse in Sundsvall.

• Optimise both hardware and contract – an efficient heat pump combined with the wrong contract type leaves money on the table. Hardware and electricity plan need to work together to deliver full value.

• Check markup and monthly fee – for households with high consumption, even small differences can have a large impact over a full year.

If you want to understand more about how electricity prices work, read our guide on what affects electricity prices.

Compare electricity plans for your heat pump at Wipick

Wipick gathers current offers from leading electricity providers in one place. Through a simple comparison, you can see which plans are actually available and cost-effective for your household – without having to visit ten different provider websites.

Compare electricity plans for your heat pump at Wipick

Whether you choose hourly pricing or a variable plan: start by comparing electricity plans based on your actual conditions so the comparison reflects your home, your heat pump and your electricity zone.

Key Heat Pump Electricity Plan Takeaways

• electricity plan for heat pump 2026

• The right heat pump electricity plan can make a big difference to your monthly budget – but only if you understand how the contract type and the heat pump’s technology work together.

• Grid benefit

  The grid fee you pay to your grid owner is partly based on your consumption pattern.

• Do you want to understand how different contract types suit your consumption profile?

• Tibber is the obvious first choice if your heat pump supports smart control.

• Skellefteå Kraft suits those who want renewable electricity without actively optimising consumption times.

• Vattenfall is the right choice for those with high total consumption or those who prefer a large and established provider.

• Always compare electricity plans at Wipick before signing a new contract.