– It just gets worse and worse. Something absolutely must be done, says Knut Ivar Jøraholmen in Alta. Today, no household in Norway escapes sky-high electricity prices. Between eight and nine in the morning, the spot price for a kilowatt hour was four kroner and 14 øre in northern Norway. It has only been this high once before. In comparison, in the same period there was a spot price in south-east, west and south-west Norway of over seven kroner per kilowatt hour. In central Norway, the price was just over five kroner. – We probably have to think a bit about what we use the electricity for in the future. Clearly. And it’s good to save on heating. But we can’t sit and freeze either. We must remember that we have some potentially very cold months ahead of us, says Jøraholmen. – Will last a few days Cold weather in combination with little rainfall, as well as an electricity crisis in Europe, is largely to blame for the high electricity prices we are experiencing in Norway now. In several places it is also good with minus degrees. And if we are to believe Ishavskraft’s sales manager, Tom Eirik Olsen, we probably have to prepare for the fact that prices will remain high for some time to come. – It is difficult to predict the weather. But we probably have to count on electricity prices to be this high, at least in northern Norway, for a week ahead. After next week it looks a little better. Then it will be a little milder in combination with some precipitation, says Olsen. What makes the matter extra bad right now is that we are not allowed to utilize the wind power, says the sales manager at Ishavskraft. – There is very little wind when it is as cold as now. This means that we do not get to produce as much electricity as we would like, he says. Sales manager at Ishavskraft, Tom Eirik Olsen, asks people to think through the use of hot water, heating and charging the electric car. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news Electricity subsidy throughout the country Households in southern parts of the country have for a long time received electricity subsidy as a result of high electricity prices. From 1 September, the government introduced an electricity subsidy scheme that covers 90 per cent of the price above 70 øre per kWh, and which is calculated from the average price of electricity per month for each area. The support is deducted from the invoice for the online rental. The maximum price on Monday was NOK 4.14 per kWh between 8 and 9 in the morning. Now Olsen believes that for the first time we will also experience this in Northern Norway. – December will be the first month that the scheme with electricity support takes effect in the north. The way the outlook is right now. But despite the electricity subsidy, many people with a spot price will probably find that their electricity bill this month will be around NOK 3,000 higher than normal. – What do people have to do to get electricity support? – Nothing. This happens automatically. The electricity supplier will calculate and deduct this from the electricity bill, says Olsen. Jacket and scarf in the classroom It is not just private households that are now taking steps to save electricity. At Asdal school in Bjorbekk in Arendal, the pupils are so cold that they wear woolen socks, scarves and jackets indoors. The reason is that the municipality has turned down the indoor temperature to 19 degrees in all municipal purpose-built buildings. Complaints are now pouring in from several schools in the municipality. Rebecca Thomassen and Tiril Hagensen describe a cold school day. – People dress in wool, fleece and stillongs, says Tiril, who is sitting with a thick scarf around his neck. – We can’t concentrate. It is difficult to write because your hands are so cold, says Rebecca Thomassen. – You freeze like a stick and the only thing you think about is that you are cold and how you can get warmer, say Rebecca Thomassen and Tiril Hagensen at Asdal school in Arendal. Photo: Geir Ingar Egeland / news Last week she measured around 17 degrees in the classroom. Øystein Sangvik is a manager at Arendal Eiendom. He says the lowering of the temperature is a charity to reduce electricity consumption in the municipality. – We have seen that we can save NOK 1.4 million by reducing the temperature by one degree in all municipal purpose-built buildings, he says. Øystein Sangvik, manager of Arendal Eiendom, says there is a lot to be saved by lowering the temperature in municipal buildings. Photo: Geir Ingar Egeland / news – Have to think about While the inhabitants of large parts of the country have lived with sky-high electricity prices for a long time, the inhabitants of the north have escaped relatively cheaply. Therefore, there may not have been as much focus among the residents on keeping consumption down. – I must admit that so far I have not worried too much about the price of electricity. But I will do that now. The boys will probably have to shower in the training hall from now on, says Renathe Åkerøy Pettersen. – What do you think about a spot price of over four kroner per kilowatt in Northern Norway? – We have had relatively low electricity prices in the north for a long time. In that sense, we may not have anything to complain about compared to those who live in the south of the country. I can still feel myself getting a little irritated. The development is worrying. We probably have to think carefully about what the family uses electricity for in the future, says Pettersen. – From now on, the boys must shower in the training hall. We must save where we can, says Renathe Åkerøy Pettersen in Alta, as a reaction to the currently sky-high electricity prices. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news – Leave the Christmas lights on And this is exactly what Olsen in Ishavskraft also recommends everyone with a spot price agreement to do. There is a lot to be saved by thinking a little cleverly. Not least what time of day you use electricity. – The vast majority of electricity suppliers have an app where you can follow the spot price from hour to hour. If you do this, you can use more electricity at the time of day when the price is lowest. And it is often the case that the price is highest during the day, then between eight in the morning and five in the afternoon. Lower the temperature during the day, and instead take a little longer to warm up when you get home. – What about the Christmas lighting outside and inside? – These draw minimal electricity. So leave the lights on. Rather, think about when you charge the electric car, shower or wash clothes. And not least on how warm you are in the house, says Olsen. New electricity record in the north In Northern Norway, there will be a new record for the average price for electricity of NOK 2.53 per kilowatt hour (kWh) on Monday and a maximum price of NOK 4.14. Monday’s average price per kWh is NOK 1,035 higher than Sunday and NOK 2,094 higher than the same day last year, figures from the electricity exchange Nord Pool’s website show. From 1 September, the government introduced an electricity subsidy scheme that covers 90 per cent of the price above 70 øre per kWh, and which is calculated from the average price of electricity per month for each area. The support is deducted from the invoice for the online rental. The maximum price on Monday of NOK 4.14 per kWh is between 8 and 9 in the morning. It is NOK 1.64 higher than Sunday and NOK 3.68 higher than the same day last year. Disregarding any electricity subsidy, but including consumption tax (15.41 øre per kWh) and fee to Enova (1 øre per kWh), the maximum price in Northern Norway would be NOK 4.31. In Northern Norway there is no VAT on electricity, and in Finnmark and Northern Troms you also do not have to pay consumption tax. The minimum price will be NOK 1.15 per kWh between 11pm and 00am and is the lowest in the country.
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High electricity prices throughout the country, and the most in the north in 12 years – news Troms and Finnmark
