In March, the members of the Facebook group “Prismatch Strøm” were tipped off about an exceptionally good fixed price agreement. Nordlandsselskapet Meløy Energi could offer electricity at 126 øre/kWh. Overnight they gained 800 new customers in southern Norway. Since then, the electricity company has lost many, many millions. On Wednesday, the company sent out an email to all 800 customers offering them money to end the fixed price agreement. Why? They are in danger of going bankrupt. However, customers news has spoken to have little sympathy for Meløy Energi. – I am not afraid of them going bankrupt. They are desperate and poor, says Martin Bratgjerd. news has received letters from customers which show that Meløy Energi is offering some up to 25,000 to switch contracts. – Our duty to do something Why is it problematic for Meløy Energi to have fixed price customers in southern Norway? Throughout the spring and summer, the electricity price in southern Norway has been far higher than 126 øre/kWh. Meløy Energi has therefore bought expensive electricity and sold it cheaply to customers. Now it has become so serious that they fear bankruptcy. Chairman of the board of Meløy Energi, Rolf Inge Sleipnes, says they see no other way out than to try to buy the customers out of the agreements. – We believe that this offer helps to look after customers in a good way, while at the same time it can save the company, he says to news. Meløy Energi is wholly owned by Meløy municipality. The economy in the municipality is bad. Photo: Kasper Holgersen / news He emphasizes that the company is owned by Meløy municipality. – The company belongs to the residents of Meløy municipality. It is our duty to do something to save the company. Meløy Energi also has great employees who provide Meløy with local employment and value creation. – Meløy Energy is very important for the community in Meløy. The chairman of Meløy Energi fears that a possible bankruptcy will affect those who live in Meløy municipality. The picture shows Ørnes in Meløy. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news – How serious is the situation? Is there a real risk of bankruptcy? – If we manage to do this with our fixed-price customers in the south, the company will not go bankrupt. If we don’t get it done, we are in a serious situation. No one dares to predict future prices and the market changes from second to second. He adds: – We cannot live with the risk of prices going up to NOK 10 again. Then everyone understands where this is going. – Badly done playing on our feelings Electricity customer Espen Lühr in Horten is not going to accept the offer of money to cancel the lucrative electricity agreement: He says that he has received two emails from Meløy Energi. – In one, they offered me NOK 6,000. Then I thought to myself that if it had been double I should have considered it. But then I got a new email, where they wrote that the previous email was not for me. I was only supposed to get NOK 4,000. Then some of the sympathy I had disappeared, he says to news. Espen Lühr in Horten says he will not let go of the agreement with Meløy Energi. Photo: Privat He still believes enough that some of the 800 electricity customers can bite the bullet. – There are probably some who feel humanity and care about them. Martin Bratgjerd, another customer of Meløy Energi, is said to have been offered NOK 5,000 to switch to the spot price. Like Lühr, he intends to decline. – I think it is badly done to play on our emotions through the risk of bankruptcy. It is they who have made a mistake, not us the customers, he says to news. Would you agree to a switch from a fixed price to a spot price if your electricity company is in danger of going bankrupt? – Aren’t you afraid that they might go bankrupt? – No, not really. If that happens, I will have to switch to the spot price. Espen Lühr says he hopes Meløy Energi survives the tough period anyway. – Electricity prices are now a little lower than they were a month ago. Time will tell how electricity prices develop. But if they go bankrupt, of course I have sympathy for them. – Great respect for our customers Martin Bratgjerd believes that what Meløy Energi is trying to do is unnecessary. – They should stand for the offer they have made. I believe this helps to build up the bad reputation the electricity industry has. – Do you get worried when your electricity supplier says they may go bankrupt? – No, not really. Chairman Rolf Inge Sleipnes says they have great respect for the customers and understand that this can be a difficult request to deal with. – The customers have been given a week to think about the offer. We have a large machine ready so people can call us if they have questions or need more information. – How has the response been so long? – I don’t have an overview of that now as it hasn’t been that long yet. ALSO READ:
ttn-69
Desperate means customers – news Nordland
