Newsletter: Camping is only a luxury to save electricity and fruits and vegetables – soaring energy prices hurt people’s livelihood in Denmark

Xinhua News Agency, Copenhagen, September 26. Newsletter: Camping is only a luxury for saving electricity. Fruits and vegetables have become a luxury item – soaring energy prices hurt people’s livelihood in Denmark

Xinhua News Agency reporter Lin Jing

Zenia Konum, from the Danish island of Zealand, has been living in a tented camp in the city of Soler with her daughter Kasia since mid-July. This is not because the mother and daughter love the camping life, but because their gas bill for the apartment they rent has risen from DKK 2,500 ($0.13 per DKK) to DKK 6,500 per quarter.

Data from Statistics Denmark showed that Denmark’s consumer price index rose 8.7 percent year-on-year in July this year, driven by soaring energy prices. Dan Jorgensen, Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, said at a press conference a few days ago that the price of electricity and natural gas in Denmark in August this year rose to five times what they were in August last year.

Daughter Cassia told the Danish media reporters who came to interview: “It’s very cold in the camp. I dare not go out to the toilet at night because there are sometimes drunk people outside the toilet. I can’t do my homework normally because there is no Internet access here.”

Because of a serious traffic accident, her mother Zenia lost her ability to work and had to retire early and live on a fixed pension. The rising cost of living left her with no choice but to retire from the apartment.

Although the Danish government has announced winter heating subsidies for some families in need, this is only a drop in the bucket for Zenia. Niels Damm, chief analyst of Danske Bank’s financial industry, said in an interview with Danish media that inflation cannot be seen in the short term, which means that more people’s lives will be seriously affected.

Electricity prices make ordinary people feel the chill of winter ahead of time, and the “gas-cut” problem across Europe has also made manufacturers in all walks of life face unsustainable difficulties.

Denmark’s largest tomato producer, Nordic Biofuels, announced that it will suspend production this winter due to soaring energy prices and the cost of maintaining greenhouse production in winter, according to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. “We had to cancel production of tomatoes and cucumbers throughout the winter, something that hasn’t happened in 15 years,” CEO Max Peterson said in an interview.

In other words, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and cucumbers in Danish Chinese restaurants may become extravagant dishes this winter. After all, before the price increase, a cucumber in the supermarket was already selling for 10 DKK.

Jesper Benoff, chairman of the Danish Horticultural Association, told the Danish Broadcasting Corporation that the production of 100 greenhouses in Denmark is completely or partly dependent on natural gas. The energy crisis has affected the horticultural crop industry on a large scale. At present, it must be considered whether to stop production in winter, “after all, everything is too expensive, and most consumers may not want to pay for it”.

Martin Hansen, deputy director of the Danish Energy Agency, said in an interview with the media that the current surge in energy prices is the result of a combination of multiple factors. Russia’s suspension of natural gas supply has led to tension and uncertainty in the energy market, and rising natural gas prices will inevitably drive up coal and oil prices. At the same time, the severe summer drought in Europe has led to low water levels in reservoirs and unsatisfactory wind resources, resulting in power shortages and high electricity prices.

In the face of the energy crisis, the Danish government has introduced relevant measures and put forward energy-saving suggestions for residents and enterprises, including from October 1st, the room temperature of public buildings shall not exceed 19 degrees Celsius, and all unnecessary decorations and lighting outside public building facilities shall be closed. . The Danish government has also reached an agreement with the parliament to provide 100 billion DKK guarantees to the Danish Electricity Company, with a view to stabilizing electricity market prices and ensuring supply security.

In order to survive the coming winter, the Danish Energy Agency recommends that people save energy in various ways, such as sealing windows, lowering the heating temperature, and reducing the use of hot water.

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Responsible editor: Deng Jian