Significant drop in electricity prices

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The average price of electricity for households, excluding taxes and grid rent, was 26.8 øre per kWh in the first quarter of 2020. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, which had a very high price, the electricity price was down 51 per cent.

In their quarterly electricity market report, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate points out that much rain, especially snow in combination with mild temperatures led to high water reservoirs level and an extraordinary strong hydrological balance in Norway.

The overall price of electricity for households, including grid rent and taxes, was on average 87.8 øre per kWh in the first quarter of 2020, according to new figures from the electricity price statistics. This is 29 per cent lower compared to the first quarter of 2019. The price of electricity amounted to 31 per cent, the grid rent 33 per cent and taxes came to 36 per cent. The overall price of electricity has not been lower since the first quarter of 2016.

Figure 1. Electricity prices, grid rent and taxes for households

Grid rent Taxes Electricity price
Q1-2012 26.3 26.9 34.4
Q2-2012 26.3 25 26.1
Q3-2012 26.1 23.6 20
Q4-2012 26.4 26.3 30.4
Q1-2013 26.4 27.3 34.9
Q2-2013 26.4 27.1 34.6
Q3-2013 26.4 26.7 33.4
Q4-2013 26.4 27.3 35.6
Q1-2014 26.0 27.3 31.5
Q2-2014 26.0 26.3 26.6
Q3-2014 26.0 27.3 31.6
Q4-2014 26.0 27.4 31.7
Q1-2015 26.3 29.8 31.3
Q2-2015 26.3 28.7 26.0
Q3-2015 26.0 27.9 20.0
Q4-2015 26.0 29.2 25.9
Q1-2016 26.6 32.1 28.7
Q2-2016 27.3 32.3 28.8
Q3-2016 27.3 32.7 30.5
Q4-2016 27.9 34.9 37.6
Q1-2017 27.9 34.3 34.3
Q2-2017 27.9 33.9 33.1
Q3-2017 27.9 34.0 33.3
Q4-2017 27.9 34.5 36.0
Q1-2018 27.9 36.0 42.5
Q2-2018 28.9 36.8 44.6
Q3-2018 28.9 39.2 55.3
Q4-2018 29.4 39.2 54.8
Q1-2019 30.4 38.7 55.2
Q2-2019 30.4 36.6 45.6
Q3-2019 30.4 35.9 42.5
Q4-2019 28.9 36.6 46.8
Q1-2020 28.9 32.1 26.8

Contracts with spot price the cheapest

Households with spot price contracts had the cheapest contract type in the first quarter of 2020 with an average electricity price of 22.9 øre per kWh, excluding taxes and grid rent. This is the most common contract type (see figure 3). During the first quarter of 2020 the spot price was at its lowest level in March. The spot price was about 30 øre per kW at the start of the first quarter, but plummeted to 6 øre per kWh at the end of the quarter.

Households with variable price contracts had the most expensive contract type in the first quarter of 2020 with an average electricity price of 40.3 øre per kWh, excluding taxes and grid rent. About one fifth of the households had this contract type in the first quarter of 2020.

Figure 2. Price of electric energy for households, taxes and grid rent excluded. Q1 2020

Øre/kWh
New fixed price contracts – 1 year or less 35.7
New fixed price contracts – 1 year or more 33.9
All other fixed-price contracts 38.3
Contracts tied to spot price 22.9
Variable price (not tied to spot price) 40.3

Figure 3. Distribution of contract types. Q1 2020

Fixed-price contracts Contracts tied to spot price Variable price contracts
Households 2.3 77.1 20.6
Services 7.3 86.6 6.1
Manufacturing excl. energy-intensive manufacturing 7.8 87.0 5.2

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