Danish electricity prices highest in nearly four years, Digi Mart USA News (Denmark): Limited wind and sun have pushed electricity prices upward over the past week. A weather phenomenon known as dunkelflaute has contributed to this week’s high prices, which have risen to 1.8 kroner per kilowatt-hour in western Denmark and 2 kroner in eastern Denmark.
This is the highest level since December 2022, according to energy company Norlys, which announced the figures in a press release. At that time, nearly four years ago, the wholesale price of electricity stood at 2.9 kroner per kilowatt-hour.
Prices remain well below the level seen during the 2022 energy crisis, when they peaked at 4.35 kroner per kilowatt-hour. Even so, Ellen Trolle, director of Norlys’ energy business, said it could be a good time to revisit some of the habits adopted during that period.
“If you can postpone running the dishwasher or charging the electric car until the cheaper hours, that is a simple way to keep the electricity bill down,” she said.
Other suggestions from the publisher’s report include using a cable rather than wireless charging when charging a phone, cleaning the lint filter of a tumble dryer after each use and spinning clothes thoroughly first, streaming via Chromecast or Apple TV instead of a game console, setting refrigerator temperature to 5 °C and freezer to -18 °C, and using less water in pots and covering them while cooking.
Dunkelflaute, which translates directly as something like “dark stillness,” occurs at this time of year when wind turbines stand still after several days of weak wind and clouds and haze limit the output of solar panels. In such conditions, gas-fired power plants must supply more electricity, and when gas is expensive, this quickly shows up in electricity prices, Trolle said.
Russia’s war against Ukraine and the associated export sanctions, as well as the war in Iran and the lack of oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, have contributed to higher gas prices, according to the report.
The highest electricity prices this week are expected this evening around 7 p.m., when the pure electricity price is forecast to reach 2.4 kroner in western Denmark and 2.6 kroner in eastern Denmark per kilowatt-hour. Consumers west of the Great Belt can expect prices above 3 kroner per kilowatt-hour between 5 p.m.
and 8 p.m., while east of the Great Belt prices will exceed 3 kroner between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Prices are expected to fall once weather brings more sun and wind.
