You should do this now – E24
In December, electricity prices have so far been so high that there will be electricity subsidies throughout Norway. Three measures have a lot to say to reduce the bill, according to an electricity expert.
The winter cold has hit in the first part of December. The cold has been one of the reasons why electricity prices have climbed, along with factors such as the nuclear power problems in Sweden.
Through 2022, it is mostly southern Norway that has had very high electricity prices, but recently there has also been abnormally expensive electricity in central Norway and northern Norway.
In week 50, Northern Norway had an average price of just under NOK 1.58/kWh. This week was thus the most expensive electricity week of all time in Northern Norway, according to the report Europower.
Electricity has been expensive enough that it is already clear that there will be electricity subsidies throughout the country for December.
If you want to save electricity and reduce your bill, there are three factors in particular you have to think about, says Tom Eirik Olsen, sales manager at Ishavskraft.
– If you reduce the temperature inside, use hot water sensibly and think about when you charge the electric car, you are doing a lot, says Olsen.
– Nothing beats wool socks
When it comes to heating, Olsen acknowledges that there is a limit to what can be done, but he points out that turning the temperature down to degrees can result in a percentage reduction on the electricity bill.
– Take the small steps. Nothing beats putting on some wool socks.
What time you use the electricity to heat the house, the hot water or charge the electric car also has a lot to say, especially when there are big fluctuations in the price.
– Reducing consumption is good anyway, and reducing when the price is high has the most to say. You’d rather enjoy yourself in the shower when you see it’s cheap, says Olsen.
Olsen believes you can now get more back by controlling the heating according to the high and low price, rather than adjusting the effect.
– The temperature does not drop immediately.
Weekend charging
It is also possible to save money on electric car charging, if you are good at choosing the right time. Although it is possible to keep track of exactly which hours electricity is cheapest, the overall rule to remember is simple in winter.
This applies both within the day and within the week, according to Olsen in Ishavskraft.
– In winter, weekends and nights are usually always the cheapest. Charging at night is done safely with today’s solutions.
Especially those who do not drive so far to work that they have to charge the car every day, should think about this when prices fluctuate as much as this week, according to Olsen
Beyond the three factors, he thinks that you should try not to think too much about when and how you use the electricity.
– Dishwasher and washing machine mean so little in the grand scheme of things. You’ll go crazy if you have to go around thinking about all these things all the time.
Double effect
December 2022 will be the first month in which you will receive electricity support throughout the country. Electricity prices have been so high until now that month that it is already a fact.
Even if the prices were to go straight down towards Christmas, it would not be enough to take the monthly average below 70 øre per kilowatt hour in any price range. That is the limit for whether support is given.
The three price areas in Southern Norway are likely to receive an electricity subsidy of around NOK 3.2 per kilowatt hour, while Central Norway is aiming for a subsidy rate of NOK 2.1. In Northern Norway, there is likely to be an electricity subsidy of just over 60 øre per kilowatt hour.
Southern Norway has received electricity support all months in 2022. Eastern Norway has been at approximately exactly the same level, while Southern Norway had some months with higher electricity prices.
In Central Norway, there was barely any electricity support for September. In Northern Norway, December this year will be the first time the electricity subsidy kicks in.
If you are good at adding electricity consumption to the hours when it is cheapest, it is not only positive for the bill in itself. The electricity subsidy makes it even more attractive to manage consumption towards these times.
– What you do by using electricity at the times when it is cheap is that you get a double effect. The better you are at using the electricity at the right time, the larger proportion of the bill will be support, says Olsen in Ishavskraft.
This is because it is based on the average price for the month, and provides support as if you had used the electricity completely evenly. If you use the electricity at the cheapest rate, you get the same support as if you had paid more at a more expensive time.
At the same time, Olsen proves that you should never use more electricity than normal, or more than you need.
– You always have to pay for the energy you use anyway.