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How people in Norway are changing their habits to keep energy bills down

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
How people in Norway are changing their habits to keep energy bills down
Norwegians are changing their power usage to try and get the best price. Pictured is an energy meter in Norway.Photo by Arthur Lambillotte on Unsplash

Norwegians are changing the way they use electricity to try and keep bills down amid rising prices, energy firms have said.

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High energy prices have led to consumers in Norway becoming savvier with their energy consumption habits to try and drive down rising bills, the newspaper Bergenavisen reports. 

Electricity firm BKK Nett has said that it has noticed changes in consumption when prices fluctuate. On Saturday, September 17th, electricity was cheaper than the week before, and as a result, consumption rose. 

However, the firm said that a full conclusion couldn't be fully drawn as factors such as weather and temperature will also affect how much homes use energy. The company's figures are based on an analysis of around 44,000 customers in Bergen. 

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Fjordkraft, which powers homes nationwide, has confirmed that customers are changing their habits to get more bang for their buck. 

"People are interested in how they can save money by adjusting their consumption according to price variations and by small and large power saving measures," Jon Vaag Eikeland, communications adviser for Fjordkraft, told the paper. 

Eikeland explained that consumers in Norway were waiting until prices dipped during the day to use power intensive appliances. 

"On Thursday, for example, it was good to finish electric car charging before the price peak between 7 and 9am. In addition, we notice increased interest in power management, such as smart electric car charging and solar cells," he said.

Households in Norway have struggled with high prices, despite the government covering 90 percent of the bill when energy costs rise above 70 øre kWh. Low reservoir filling levels, along with power export cables, the war in Ukraine and high gas prices have contributed to sky-rocketing energy prices in southern Norway since 2021.

Despite the support, households in Norway have become increasingly concerned with high energy bills over the past year. High energy bills are the rising cost consumers in Norway are most worried about, according to a survey by Sparebank 1. Norwegian newswire NTB reports that 54 percent of those who responded to the survey are concerned by high electricity prices.

READ MORE: Which rising costs are consumers in Norway most concerned about?

How to check when the price is best? 

Analysts in Norway have warned that prices in southern Norway could rise as high as 20 kroner per kWh, which means many may have to adapt their energy usage to avoid feeling the squeeze.

Prices in Norway fluctuate during different times of the day. Typically, prices are higher when more people are expected to be using energy- such as in the morning and evening. Therefore, prices are typically cheaper during the middle of the day or the night. 

Energy exchange NordPool has a price map on its website where you can check the price of energy during the day, week or month ahead in your area. 

Using this, you can determine when is best to use power-intensive appliances, charge an electric car or turn on the heating. 

Currently, the price is listed in megawatts, so you will need to divide this price by 1,000 to get the price you will pay on an hourly basis. 

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