Northern Norway and partly central Norway have been spoiled with very low electricity prices for many months. The latter got a taste of increased prices in August, while Northern Norway has had record low prices throughout the summer. The average price per kilowatt hour in Northern Norway was 1.92 øre in July and 2.82 øre in August. Now prices are creeping up quickly. On Thursday, the average price was over 2000% higher than the average price throughout the summer. – Now we are in for a shock in Northern Norway. We have been stunned. Autumn is making its approach and things are ticking upwards, says head of administration at SKS Handel, Johnny Horsdal. The debate is also raging in Norway’s largest Facebook group for electricity prices. Should you enter into a fixed price agreement before the price possibly skyrockets? Or will prices fall again? Difficult choice In just over a week, prices in northern Norway have gone from one øre to over 50 øre. It is still far from the prices in the south, but Horsdal in SKS says it can be far more expensive. – There is less wind. It is dry. Consumption is increasing. In addition, there is better exchange capacity to the surrounding areas which is now available, he explains and adds: – It will probably be more intense in the future. Now it drags on. Johnny Horsdal says people in northern Norway have become used to low prices throughout the summer – Now everyone in the north is getting a taste of what the southerners have struggled with for a long time. Photo: benjamin fredriksen / news In the Facebook group Prismatch Strøm, questions about the prices in northern Norway have already started to appear. Is it a good idea to have a fixed price, or should you continue with a variable price? Grete Abel is one of those in Northern Norway who wonders. – The electricity price will probably worry me more if I have a spot price. It says itself. At the same time, she is not entirely sure whether she will commit to a fixed-price agreement. Do you have a fixed price for electricity? Espen Sulen, who himself lives further south, has committed to a fixed price. He argues that it makes it easier to deal with personal finances. – I know exactly what the price is and can have a normal “streaming life” without stressing about different prices at different times of the day, he says to news. He adds: – In addition, it provides security in the private economy now that we have several interest rate increases ahead of us. – 90 percent regret that they didn’t tie the knot The man behind the Prismatch Strøm Facebook group, Mathias Nilsson, has no doubts about what people in northern Norway should do. – Do you want to let the market control your electricity bill hour by hour, or do you want to take control of it yourself? – My advice is to secure yourself. Then you know what you have to pay and you don’t have to think about what the price might be. Mathias Nilsson believes that the fixed price agreements for Northern Norway will quickly become more expensive. Photo: Privat Nilsson says many people in the south live hour by hour. That many people worry about what the final price of the bill will be. – Do you feel that there are many people in the south who regret not tying the knot? – 90 per cent regret that they did not get the price fixed. He says the fixed price can quickly become much higher. – It is already rising. The situation has already changed. The fixed price agreements that are available now will probably be gone in a week. – It’s going fast now. The expert opted for a fixed price Johnny Horsdal in SKS says, like Nilsson, that there are many in the south who regret not choosing to enter into a fixed price agreement a long time ago. – Many argue that one should lie in the spot. They may only do so if they are comfortable with it. – However, I think there are many people in southern Norway who would have chosen a fixed price of 40-50 øre if they had the opportunity. A lot of rainfall combined with a lot of snow melting has helped to push the prices of electricity down this summer. Photo: Remi Sagen / news At the time of writing, the cheapest fixed price agreement in northern Norway is just over 40 øre per kilowatt hour for three years. Horsdal says that he himself has entered into such an agreement. – I would gladly pay for that predictability and that insurance. I can live with 40 øre, but I don’t want to experience 70 øre or a krone. Horsdal says he has long asked people to consider fixed price agreements. The prices now make it even more relevant. – The situation has become much worse than we imagined this spring. Now we see NOK 12 in France and NOK 7-8 in Germany. It doesn’t take much for it to catch on in southern Norway. He adds: – Then the road up to us in the north is not long. There is a possibility that we may get nasty conditions. I don’t want to worry about that.
ttn-69
Electricity prices are rising rapidly in Central Norway and Northern Norway – the experts recommend a fixed price – news Nordland
