– We can accept the southerners of the north – VG

Less than 20 minutes ago

–

The Tromsdalen family is aware of their electricity consumption and has taken several measures to save on electricity. At the same time, they talk about the everyday luxury of cheap electricity right now.

– “I think we can’t take a shower for that long”, the children ask us. “Yes, you can. We still have cheap electricity,” says Gunhild Årnes Guttvik of an exchange with the children.

VG data, obtained by NVE, show that the population and businesses have adapted to prices in recent weeks and months.

Consumption in the South-East was lower than usual throughout the year, even in the summer months of June, July and August.

At the same time, consumption in Northern Norway is unusually high. In the last three months, consumption has increased significantly compared to the same period ten years ago.

This is not adjusted for changes in temperature or other conditions.

At the same time, the price differences between north and south increase:

While the spot price of electricity was 13.6 øre per kilowatt hour in Tromsø on Thursday evening (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm), the price was 650 øre in the three southernmost electric regions.

Ordinary households are less aware of this, as the state covers 90% of the price above 70 øre.

But for companies without a fixed price deal, it’s a different story.

– Nothing happens, to my dismay. The government doesn’t have the ability to do anything, it just investigates, investigates and investigates. As long as someone in my industry can get electricity for pennies, while for us the price is around NOK 10, I believe this is a paralyzed government in action, says Jens Eide, general manager of Jens Eide AS slaughterhouse.

From slaughter to sausage

The company is responsible for the entire value chain, from slaughter to product. It is mainly sold in Agder and Telemark, but some of the products can be found all over the country.

Last July, his electricity bill was NOK 180,000, according to Eide, while this year he paid NOK 1.3 million for the same month.

The company must stop all investments for which it has not committed.

It also means that they do not make planned energy savings.

The slaughterhouse had to invest in a system similar to heat pumps, but which would allow the pumps that cool the cold rooms to heat the hot water at the same time.

– Now all the money goes to electricity, says Eide.

– Why should we pay NOK 6-8-10, when the rest of the country has some money? Why should we have this injustice? This is a resource and a social good that everyone has always enjoyed, so it’s such an injustice that should prevail, says Eide.

His criticism is aimed at the government, not at those living in lower-priced areas.

In VG, Minister of Oil and Energy Terje Aasland (Ap) says the government is working on a solution for companies, but it will take some time to arrive at a targeted and good solution.

– Like pissing your pants

Although consumption in the south has fallen, Tor Reier Lilleholt does not believe that private households have been responsible for the largest savings measures.

Volue Insight chief analyst says support for power has protected residents, perhaps too much.

– It is clear that some are aware of the use of electricity, but a large part of the population still has a lot to do, says Lilleholt.

In the southwest of Norway, consumption is showing signs of declining, but it does not differ much from previous years.

The lead analyst expects electricity prices to rise by NOK 20 per kilowatt hour in the future. At the same time, the population will pay no more than 2.5 NOK with current support.

– And that’s after all the surcharges and taxes. At this level, many Norwegians will continue to consume as before, says Lilleholt.

His clear advice to those with good enough finances or low electricity prices:

Invest in measures that will cut consumption in the long run. Be it a heat pump, solar cells or other solutions.

– The government could provide approximately one heat pump to each household. If there’s a time you should get money for the measures, it’s now, says Lilleholt.

– It wouldn’t be like pissing our pants to warm up like we do now. This would improve the situation for the next fifteen years.

It has a heat pump in the north

Gunhild Årnes Guttvik in Tromsdalen has already followed up on that call.

The family lives in a single-family house of the 60s, of 130 square meters. They re-insulated parts of the house and used both a wood stove and a heat pump in the cold.

With three kids, the washer and dryer work every day, says Guttvik, and then there’s this with the shower.

– Children love to shower under the waterfall. The only concern is that the water heater runs out of hot water. It happens every now and then. What increases electricity consumption is the shower, she says.

The family noted that their electricity consumption is higher this year, partly because they have invested in an electric car.

– What we are aware of is charging the electric car at night, it is usually the cheapest. Otherwise, we don’t do much more than what we were educated to: turn off the lights when we leave the house and turn down the heat if we have to make longer trips, says her husband Øyvind Guttvik Årnes.

Watch the video: here’s what you should do with your electrical contract:

Concerned about increasing differences

At the same time, children have become more aware of their own electricity consumption.

– Today Mathilde (9) was home alone for a while. When I got home she said she had turned off the lights in the bedroom so we wouldn’t have to pay that much. It’s good that they are aware, Guttvik says.

The couple say they are concerned about the consequences if this continues. Companies that stop production because they have lost the competitive edge they had are scary reads.

– The knock-on effects of those affected can be very large. Those who have to quit lose their livelihood and this is to the detriment of their families. This can still increase the differences in Norway, she says.

Gunhild Guttvik is originally from Trøndelag and has a proposal for southern people who are concerned about high electricity prices.

– We can stand with open arms and welcome the southerners of the north, he says.

Here you can see the energy consumption of the other electricity regions of the country:

–