An electricity bill from your landlord must be based on the tenancy agreement and documented costs. Check whether electricity is included, paid in advance or covered by your own subscription. With agreed advance payments, you may owe more or be due a refund.
What does the tenancy agreement say?
Start with the agreement before assessing the amount. There are different ways to pay for electricity, and they lead to different settlements.
Find the contract and any attachments. Look for included, additional charge, own subscription and akonto. Akonto means an advance payment that is later compared with the actual costs.
| Agreed arrangement | How you pay | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity included in rent | Through the agreed rent | Whether the landlord is trying to introduce a new electricity charge |
| Electricity paid separately to the landlord | According to the agreed cost allocation | Invoices, period and your share |
| Akonto paid to the landlord | Advances followed by a settlement | Both advances paid and actual costs |
| Your own electricity subscription | To the electricity supplier and grid company | The companies' bills, not an extra settlement with the landlord |
SamfunnPrep explains how to read a tenancy agreement. Use the agreement you actually entered into, not just the wording of a new message.
Husleietvistutvalget, the public body handling tenancy disputes, says additional electricity payments to the landlord must have been agreed when the tenancy began. Without such an agreement, the landlord cannot introduce a new bill payable to them. This does not mean electricity is always free: your own subscription is a different arrangement.
The rules and sources in this guide were checked on 4 October 2026.
What can the electricity bill include?
An agreed charge for necessary electricity expenses may cover both electricity consumed and grid charges. However, the amount must match the agreed arrangement and your share.
Grid charges, or nettleie, pay for electricity delivered through the grid. They are not the same as rent. A line called nettleie is therefore not automatically an unlawful additional charge.
Ask for the basis if a bill simply says “electricity” with one total. You need to see the period covered, which costs are included and how your share was calculated. A high amount may cover several months, rather than an incorrect price.
Husleietvistutvalget's electricity guidance explains which costs may be included. SamfunnPrep also has a guide to electricity and grid charges if the terms on the original invoice are unfamiliar.
Check that the same cost has not been included more than once. If your landlord shows both a combined invoice and a separate grid invoice, ask which items are actually used in the settlement.
Do you share an electricity meter with your landlord?
Costs must be allocated proportionately between users of the property. The landlord must pay their own share when you share a meter.
A shared meter does not necessarily show your consumption alone. You therefore need to understand the allocation method too. This can be particularly important if you rent a basement flat and the landlord lives upstairs.
Ask which homes are included. Ask which measurements or other information the landlord used. A stated percentage needs an understandable basis. Do not assume everyone pays the same simply because you live in the same building.
Each year you can request an account showing the size of the costs and their allocation between users. Husleietvistutvalget describes this right in its section on allocating electricity costs.
If your flat has its own submeter, record the readings and dates. Ask to see how the readings were used. A measurement is useful evidence, but does not explain all invoice items by itself.
What does akonto mean, and can you get money back?
Akonto is an advance payment, not a final settlement. When advances are compared with actual costs, the result can go either way.
If you have paid too little, the landlord can claim the remainder of the agreed costs. If you have paid too much, you can claim the excess back. The agreement should say when advances are due and how often settlement takes place.
Calculation example: You have paid 2,000 kroner in electricity advances for a period. The documented costs to be charged to you are 1,500 kroner. You are then due 500 kroner back.
If those costs are instead 2,400 kroner, another 400 kroner remains payable. These figures are an example, not a rate or a typical winter bill.
You can check the calculation as follows:
- Find all advances you paid for the period.
- Find the documented cost to be charged to you.
- Subtract the advances from the cost.
- Check whether the result is an outstanding amount or a refund.
A message saying winter electricity became more expensive does not replace this settlement.
How to check an electricity settlement
Check the period, costs, allocation and advances in the same order. This makes it easier to discover why the figures may not match.
Start with the dates. You should be able to see whether the settlement covers the time you actually rented. Then compare the amounts with the invoices and the allocation explanation.
Also look for previous payments. If you already paid an outstanding amount for part of the period, it should be clear how this was included. Consider a simple list of the date, amount and purpose of each payment.
Keep rent and electricity settlement separate. More expensive electricity is not, by itself, a separate reason to raise the agreed rent when electricity is included. Normal rent adjustments follow other rules. Read the rules on rent increases if the landlord mixes these claims.
How to ask for documentation
Ask for the figures that are missing and explain what you want to check. A specific request makes it easier for your landlord to respond.
You can write:
I would like to check the electricity settlement for [period]. Please send the underlying invoices, an overview of the allocation between the homes and an overview of my advances paid. Please also explain whether the amount is an advance or a final settlement. I request a refund if my advances exceed my documented costs.
Adapt the text to your agreement. If electricity is included, instead ask which agreement the landlord believes allows the new additional bill.
If the landlord demands more without explaining
Respond in writing to the specific demand and explain what you dispute. Continue to distinguish between agreed rent and the disputed electricity charge.
Do not deduct an arbitrary amount from rent in response. Withholding rent has its own conditions. Get guidance if considering this, and keep the agreement, invoices and messages.
If you cannot agree, SamfunnPrep's guide to Husleietvistutvalget explains how a tenancy dispute can be taken further. SamfunnPrep's tools page offers help with other practical tasks in Norway.
