Electricity Prices in Turkey: kWh Rates and Bill Calculator

Living in Turkey · Household energy · Checked 1 October 2026

A standard household kWh in Turkey costs about 3.2380 TL in the lower consumption band and 4.8570 TL above it, with normal household taxes included. The lower band is 8 kWh for each billed day, so a 30-day bill gets 240 kWh at the lower price. These rates come from the national tariff effective 4 April 2026.

Before multiplying the number on your meter by a price, check which tariff is on your account. A private supplier contract, the high-consumption tariff called SKTT, and three-time pricing can produce very different bills. The separate 4,000 kWh annual threshold for 2026 is particularly important if you use electric heating, several air conditioners or an electric vehicle.

The two unit prices include distribution, 5% electricity consumption tax (ETV) and 10% VAT. They are calculated from the official residential tariff table, not a quote for every customer. The latest schedule verified in our 1 October source check was effective 4 April; this is not a claim that rates will stay unchanged.

How the daily bands work

“8 kWh per day” is used to calculate an allowance across the meter-reading period. It does not mean your supplier checks every individual day and charges more whenever Tuesday’s use passes 8 kWh.

Multiply the days between the first and last readings by 8. A 28-day period gives 224 kWh at the lower price; 30 days gives 240 kWh; 31 days gives 248 kWh. Only the excess uses the higher price. That is why a longer bill can be bigger without a new price rise.

For example, 260 kWh over 31 days is 248 kWh in the low band and 12 kWh in the high band. Over 30 days it is 240 plus 20. Using a fixed 240 kWh allowance for both bills would be wrong. The tariff notes explain the daily-average calculation.

What each part of the price means

A bill contains more than the electricity itself. Active energy is the electricity supplied. Distribution pays for the network that delivers it. The latter is charged for every kWh in this household tariff; it is not one flat monthly fee.

Rates from 4 April 2026 for Mesken / AG Tek Terim / Tek Zamanlı: residential, low voltage, single-term, single-time. EPDK quotes the source table in kuruş; divide by 100 to get TL. The published energy and distribution rates exclude taxes.

ETV, also described on bills as the municipal electricity consumption tax, is normally 5% of active energy for households. It is not 5% of the whole bill. VAT is then 10% of energy + distribution + ETV. See the tax authority’s explanation of what ETV is charged on and the current residential VAT rate.

Specific ETV exemptions exist, including the geographical rules outside municipal and adjacent areas. Use the exemption option only if it applies to the actual account. Older sample bills can still show the former 8% VAT or charges that are no longer collected. TRT and Energy Fund charges were removed from electricity bills from 1 January 2022; that older bill-reading guide should not be used for today’s VAT or kWh rates.

A 400 kWh bill, worked through

Assume 30 billed days, ordinary single-time residential pricing and 5% ETV. The first 240 kWh stay in the low band; the remaining 160 kWh use the high band.

1. Active energy: 240 × 0.494065 + 160 × 1.895808 = 421.90488 TL
2. Distribution: 400 × 2.4249 = 969.96 TL
3. ETV: 421.90488 × 5% = 21.095244 TL
4. VAT: (421.90488 + 969.96 + 21.095244) × 10% = 141.2960124 TL
5. Independent estimate: 1,554.26 TL after rounding the total

Applying the high price to all 400 kWh would overcharge this example. But do not use it to assume that 400 kWh every month remains subsidised indefinitely: that pattern totals 4,800 kWh in a year and can bring the annual SKTT rules into play.

The EPDK bill calculator was checked with readings from 1 September to 1 October 2026. Its 240 and 400 kWh results were 0.01 TL below full-precision component arithmetic; we have not established why. EPDK also notes invoice-rounding variation of ±0.50 TL. Previous debt, late charges, deposits and exceptional account charges are outside these examples.

The annual 4,000 kWh rule and SKTT

The high-consumption threshold for ordinary residential customers is 4,000 kWh or more in a calendar year for 2026. The current or previous calendar year can count. The 2026 threshold decision also covers separately metered residential common areas, such as lifts and shared heating systems.

Dividing 4,000 by 12 gives about 333 kWh, but that is only an average for planning. One 350 kWh month does not by itself prove that you have entered SKTT. Nor does a later 200 kWh month automatically restore national pricing.

For a first entry, the high-consumption tariff starts on the first day of the third calendar month after the month the limit is reached, if the customer has not made a private supply agreement. EPDK’s examples include reaching the limit in June 2026 and starting on 1 September, or reaching it in July and starting on 1 October. A customer returning to high-consumption status has different timing. Confirm the account’s actual notice rather than calculating eligibility from one bill.

Under SKTT, the active-energy price reflects the billing period’s wholesale market price and renewable-support cost, with the residential 1.05 coefficient. The regulation also sets a floor tied to the national high-band energy price. Distribution still applies, as do the relevant taxes. This is why there is no single permanent SKTT price per kWh, and why the change is not simply a surcharge on the annual units beyond 4,000. Use EPDK’s explanation of how SKTT works and its dated calculator.

Legally defined exceptions include specified worship and association accounts, martyr-family and veteran groups, village drinking-water facilities, AFAD temporary accommodation and customers dependent on electrical life-support equipment. The exact account category and documentation matter; the SKTT rules govern the calculation and transition. Do not assume that a medical need or a residential address automatically grants an exemption.

Returning to the national tariff depends on calendar-year consumption and the threshold set for the following year. We are not treating the 2026 limit as an announced 2027 limit.

Is electricity cheaper at night?

Not on the standard single-time tariff. Within the same consumption band, using one kWh at 03:00 costs the same as at 15:00. A meter with multiple registers does not by itself mean that your contract uses three-time billing.

The separate three-time tariff, usually called çok zamanlı, prices the day, peak and night periods separately. It does not apply the 8 kWh daily band used in the single-time calculation above.

Same 4 April 2026 residential low-voltage schedule, 2.424900 TL/kWh distribution, 5% ETV on energy and 10% VAT. EPDK lists the rates and meter-clock windows. Meters not updated for permanent summer time use winter windows of 07:00–18:00, 18:00–23:00 and 23:00–07:00 between the last Sundays of October and March; check the actual meter configuration.

Notice that the night total, 3.2607 TL/kWh, is slightly above the standard low-band total of 3.2380 TL/kWh. Switching tariffs therefore does not guarantee a saving. It depends on your measured day, peak and night use and how much single-time use would fall into the high band. Moving a dishwasher after 22:00 helps only when your applicable tariff and meter clock make those units cheaper.

How much does an appliance add?

For a constant-power appliance, multiply watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × days. A 1,000 W appliance used for one hour a day over 30 days uses 30 kWh. In a household already at its 240 kWh allowance for that period, that extra use costs about 145.71 TL at the high-band rate. If all 30 kWh fit in the low band, it is about 97.14 TL.

Rated power is a starting point, not a reliable monthly forecast for every device. Fridges cycle, and inverter air conditioners vary their draw with temperature, insulation and settings. Use an energy label or measured kWh where possible. Our appliance tool adds the estimate to your existing bill so it can account for crossing the daily band.

If you are renting, ask for actual recent bills from that home, with personal details covered, and check whether hot water, heating, pool equipment or shared facilities are billed separately. This gives a more useful household budget than comparing your home with a generic “average apartment”.

Can you choose a different electricity supplier?

The 2026 supplier-choice threshold for households is 500 kWh a year or more. This is a separate rule from the 4,000 kWh high-consumption threshold. Being eligible to choose a supplier does not require you to sign a private agreement.

Compare a written offer against your actual tariff and reading pattern. A headline “10% discount” means little until you know whether it applies only to active energy or to a larger total. Ask for the price comparison form, the fixed or variable pricing formula, taxes, distribution treatment, contract term and any exit charges. The national calculator cannot reproduce the terms of an individual private contract.

“Single-term” and “single-time” also mean different things. Tek terim describes a charging structure; çift terim includes a separate power or capacity charge. Tek zamanlı and çok zamanlı describe whether the price varies by time of day. None of these terms means the annual SKTT threshold has disappeared.

Read these lines before questioning a bill

1. Abone grubu / tarife: Is it residential (mesken), and does it say national pricing, SKTT or a private product?
2. İlk okuma / son okuma: Check the first and last reading dates. Compare days as well as the total charge.
3. Tüketim: Use kWh, not the cumulative meter index. On three-time bills, keep the day, peak and night consumption separate.
4. Birim fiyat and charges: Distinguish the energy-only rate from the price including distribution and taxes. A supplier may present energy and distribution together.
5. Previous/current-year consumption: Check the calendar-year totals and any SKTT notice.
6. Other amounts: Look for old balances, credits, deposits, late charges and rounding before comparing the amount payable with a consumption-only estimate.

A bill that crosses a tariff change needs a dated split. EPDK explains how a reading period is prorated across a price change; its older numerical examples are not current unit prices. Our tool deliberately stops outside its checked date range rather than applying one modern rate to an old or future bill.

If you budget in another currency, calculate the TL bill first, then use the Turkpidya currency converter. Comparing a Turkish subsidised low-band rate with a foreign country’s all-in average, fixed charges and another exchange-rate date can be misleading. Keep both the tariff scope and the exchange-rate date in the comparison.

Editorial basis: EPDK tariff schedule and decision 14461, EPDK 2026 SKTT decision 13912 and consolidated rules, EPDK calculator checks, and GİB tax guidance. Checked 1 October 2026. Illustrations explain the bill and the two distinct thresholds; they are not official supplier documents.