The case in summary: Researchers and aid organizations report an increase in the number of Norwegians struggling to pay electricity bills. Electricity poverty is a growing problem in Norway, but there is little research into it and is therefore a hidden form of poverty. The aid organization Help us help Østfold reports increasing requests for help to keep warm, and Nav Indre Østfold has seen a steady increase in applications for electricity support over the past two years. The Fridtjof Nansen Institute has started a research project to increase knowledge about energy poverty in Norway, with the aim of compiling statistics and definitions. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I think it is absolutely terrible that electricity should be so expensive that people almost have to freeze to death to save electricity, says Liza Thorvaldsen. She is head of the aid organization “Help us to help Østfold”. They constantly receive requests for help with food and clothing. But in recent years, more people are asking for help to keep warm. A large sack of firewood is ready on her stairs. It is for a family struggling to keep the house warm and pay the bills. Aid organizations often distribute free firewood to those who ask for help. Everything from families with children, singles and young people. Photo: Heidi Gomnæs / news – That you have to wear woolen underwear and sit under a duvet in order not to freeze – that is not right, says the frustrated leader of the aid organisation. Thorvaldsen sees that the need for help is constantly increasing, and that electricity bills are helping to tip families into poverty. In Norway, we actually know quite a bit about energy poverty because little research has been done on it. But there are many indications that the problem is increasing. Demand for firewood and carpets Estimates from 2016 showed that around 50,000 Norwegians struggled with energy poverty. It was before expensive times and the increase in electricity prices. Now there are probably many more, according to PhD student Karianne Krohn Taranger. – It is assumed that there are a good many more than 50,000 today, says Taranger. In 2021, the relatively stable electricity prices in Norway came to an end. Then a price increase started which shocked many well-accustomed Norwegians. Thorvaldsen in the aid organization says that people are now asking for blankets, fan heaters and wood – and for everything else that is needed when the wallet is empty after the electricity bill has been paid. Dyrtid gives more requests for help. Liza Thorvaldsen tries to help as best she can. Photo: Heidi Gomnæs / news – Some people do not have the money to pay the electricity bill. At least not in winter. Some have paid it, but it goes beyond everything else, such as food and clothes. – Hidden form of poverty The term “Energy poverty” is used in other countries where awareness of the problem has been greater over time. But last year Fridtjof Nansen’s Institute started the research project “Energy poverty in Norway”. Despite the high standard of living in the country, there are clear indications that energy poverty is a problem. After almost two years of research, the doctoral fellow is also concerned. – Yes, you certainly get worried. I think since there is so little focus on it, it is a somewhat hidden form of poverty, says Taranger. Karianne Krohn Taranger is a PhD student at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. She and several others are now researching energy poverty. Photo: Fridtjof Nansen’s Institute Taranger says that households have a reduced quality of life when they have to cut back on electricity use – by, for example, only heating a few rooms. The researchers therefore want to increase knowledge about what energy poverty entails. In addition, they must also find a Norwegian definition and prepare statistics. With a better knowledge base, the hope is that more people can get targeted help. – This is about households that have a reduced quality of life because they are unable to use enough energy at home. These are very serious cases, and something that cannot simply be left without something happening in the area. Electricity bills before food One of those who is looking forward to more research into energy poverty is Ine Lindberg. She is project manager for “Community for food” in Moss. Ine Lindberg is project manager for the community for food in Moss. She is happy that they can help with the food when the electricity bill becomes too expensive. Photo: Even Bjørningsøy Johnsen / news They run a closed grocery store in Moss. Here, residents who need it can pick free food from the shelves. She finds that those who use their offer go to great lengths to pay for electricity, often at the expense of food. – It could have made it a lot easier for many. Because the electricity costs are high, and we must have electricity in the home, says Ine Lindberg. Several people ask Nav for help with electricity – It’s expensive times. Everyone has had less money to work with, and we also see that in the application pool to Nav, says head of Nav Indre Østfold, Rikke Haagensen. In the last two years, Nav in Indre Østfold has also experienced a steady increase in people seeking help with electricity. Researchers estimate that well over 50,000 Norwegians struggle with energy poverty. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news In the last three months, her office has paid out over NOK 750,000 in electricity subsidies to residents of the municipality. It is often the electricity bills that topple the load for people who are already struggling, says the Nav leader in Indre Østfold. – That has been our experience in recent years. That high electricity bills, if you have little to live on from before, that it is what often causes it to go over. Published 03.12.2024, at 11.44 Updated 03.12.2024, at 12.19
ttn-69
Norwegians ask for help to pay the electricity bill – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
