Higher electricity prices for households

The overall price of electricity for households, including grid rent and taxes, was on average 95.2 øre per kWh in the third quarter of 2017, according to updated figures from Electricity prices. This is over 5 per cent higher compared to third quarter in 2016.

Of the overall price of electricity in the second of 2017 the grid rent amounted to 27.9 øre per kWh, taxes 34 øre per kWh and the price of electricity to 33.3 øre per kWh.

According to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), the main reason for the increase in electricity prices in the third quarter of 2017, compared with the previous year, is due to high export of electricity because of unusually much stops in production of Swedish nuclear power. The increased price could also be associated with a higher price level for coal.

Contracts with variable price were most expensive

Households with variable price contracts had the most expensive contract type in the third quarter of 2017 with an average electricity price of 36 øre per kWh, excluding taxes and grid rent. For households with contracts tied to the spot price, which is the most common type of contract, the average electricity price was 32.3 øre per kWh. New fixed-price contracts lasting than one year had the cheapest contract type in third quarter of 2017. The average electricity price for these were 31 øre / kWh. Few households have gets power through fixed-price contracts, and these contracts represent a very low proportion of total power consumption.