– We are leaving today to close the cabin. This won’t work, she says. Kristin Bugge Skaug has traveled to the cabin for 40 years. This autumn and winter will be the first she does not spend on the mountain in Ål. – We can’t afford to stay at the cabin. Even if Bugge Skaug stays at home in the apartment in Drøbak, it will cost money to keep a minimum of heat in the cabin. Heat to prevent the water pipes from freezing. – If the electricity price rises to NOK 10 per kilowatt hour, it will cost us NOK 6,000 a month, without us being at the cabin, she tells newspaper Hallingdølen. Bugge Skaug is far from alone. Several cabin owners warn that they will drop the cabin tour this autumn and winter, as a result of the high electricity prices. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Fears ripple effects Cottage owners in southern Norway must now prepare for a hog autumn and winter. Electricity prices are constantly reaching new heights, and without electricity support the bill for the cabin holiday can be extreme. – A lot of people say they want to drop the cabin tours, says chairman Trond G. Hagen of the Norwegian Cabin Association. Chairman Trond G. Hagen of the Norwegian Cabin Association says many people cannot afford to go to the cabin, as a result of the electricity prices. Photo: Norges Hytteforbund He receives daily inquiries from desperate cabin owners. – Most people say that they cannot afford to pay the electricity bill at the cabin. Others say they have no choice but to sell or rent out. Some say that they are considering moving to the cabin, in order to benefit from the electricity subsidy scheme, says Hagen. He believes that autumn and winter can be difficult for people other than just the cabin people. – This could have major knock-on effects for the largest cottage municipalities, where society and business are built around cottage tourism. In some places, the cabin owners account for 50 percent of the turnover. That this will have consequences is quite clear, says Hagen. Expensive cabin comfort during the holidays The autumn holidays are just around the corner. news has tried to calculate how much a family of four risks having to pay for electricity. Our starting point is a modern cabin with panel ovens as the main heating source, heating cables in the bathroom, dishwasher and washing machine. Assumed monthly consumption in October is set at 2000 kWt. A week at the cabin will thus result in a bill of NOK 4,025, with an electricity price of NOK 6 per kWh. This includes VAT and online rent. Even with lower consumption and electricity prices, the bill will be unusually high. – These are quite realistic figures. If a large family of 6-8 people spends a whole month in the cabin, it will quickly add up to a bill of NOK 20,000, says Hagen. The cottage association has fought for holiday homes to also be covered by the electricity subsidy scheme, so far without success. – I think it will force an arrangement. Not necessarily just for the sake of the cabin owners, but because this has such big ripple effects. The only way the cabin owners can save money is not to go to the cabin. The cabin ban during the pandemic in 2020 clearly shows the consequences this can have, says the chairman. Mayor thinks fewer cabin tourists are worrying Petter Rukke is mayor of Hol, one of Norway’s largest cabin municipalities. He also fears that electricity prices will lead to fewer cabin tourists when the cold sets in. – I do not ignore the fact that there will be a reduced use of cabins. Many will probably limit the length of their stay in the cabin beyond the winter, says Rukke. He is concerned on behalf of the business community in the village. – If there are fewer cabin tourists, sales will fail. It is disturbing, says Rukke. The mayor has no faith that cabins will be included in the electricity subsidy scheme. Now he hopes that the politicians will introduce support measures for business, during the Storting’s extraordinary power meeting on 19 September. – I hope the authorities see the domino effect electricity prices have in society. I don’t want to overdramatize. It will not be empty of people, but the fact that someone will prioritize the cabin away worries me. Mayor Petter Rukke in Hol fears that business will be affected if many cabin owners do not show up. Photo: Vilde Jagland / news Turns off the hot tub – Some of us probably use the cabin less, but I think getting to the cabin means so much to people that they still want to come. Mayor Anne Kristine Norman in Sigdal believes people will reduce electricity consumption at the cabin. Photo: Henning Hope Rønhovde / news That’s what mayor Anne Kristine Normann says in Sigdal, Norway’s 5th largest cottage municipality. She believes people will realize that there is a lot of money to be saved by implementing simple measures. – Many have already drained the water out of the jacuzzi. By lowering the temperature in the cabin, you can save money. It is not necessary to have 18 degrees in the cabin when you get up. Use the wood-burning stove instead, says Normann. – Is a cabin a luxury? – Yes, it’s not something you have to have. But it gives a lot to many people in a hectic everyday life. Being able to use nature, being together, lowering your shoulders and getting a low heart rate is something very many people really appreciate, says the Sigdal mayor.
ttn-69
So expensive is the autumn holiday at the cabin – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
