Energy crisis Sweden helps citizens pay giant electricity bills, Finland has a high bar for compensation – “It would be an income transfer,” says Minister Lintilä

Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilän According to (Central), the bar for compensating consumers’ electricity bills in Finland is high. According to Lintilä, the subsidy decision would be difficult in many ways.

“It would be a transfer of income, and in an otherwise difficult state of public finances, it would mean that that money would be out of somewhere else,” Lintilä tells HS.

According to him, compensating for the price of electricity would inevitably also open up a debate about compensating for high fuel prices.

“It would have spillover effects. It would certainly have created pressure to discuss fuel prices and the diesel tax, especially for professional drivers, which has already been much discussed. ”

Possible According to Lintilä, support for electricity users has not been discussed throughout the Board.

However, the situation in the electricity market and its consequences for consumers have been discussed in the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, especially after Norway said it was compensating its consumers for exceptionally high electricity prices.

“And this decision made by Sweden today further activates this debate. But I stress that no preparation is underway or about to start. The situation is being monitored. “

The Swedish government said on Wednesday it would support consumers in paying giant electricity bills.

Power market prices have been very high in all Nordic countries since the end of November. In Finland, prices rose to a record high at the beginning of December.

There are big differences in the consumer trade in electricity between the Nordic countries.

In Norway, for example, high stock exchange prices penetrate directly into consumers’ electricity bills, as electricity is mainly purchased through contracts tied to the stock exchange price. There are many fixed-term contracts in Finland where the price is stable for two years, for example.

The impact on most people’s electricity bills is therefore not as drastic.

On Wednesday The Swedish government announced that it would compensate for the high electricity prices from December to February by a total of about SEK 6 billion, or about EUR 600 million.

The subsidy would be highest for homeowners who consume more than 2,000 kilowatt hours per month, ie in practice electrically heated. They would receive a maximum grant of SEK 6,000, or about EUR 600. The Swedish government estimates that the aid would affect around 1.8 million households.

Lintilä estimates that a similar subsidy in Finland would cost about EUR 300 million.

“It’s completely unclear how such a support system would even work. There is apparently no idea of ​​that in Sweden either. At the very least, it should be ensured that the support is targeted only at low- and middle-income economies, ”says Lintilä.

He recalls that the social security system should help people who have financial problems with an electricity bill.

“But we are sadly aware that the situation in the electricity market is difficult. However, the realities of the economy must also be identified. We are still monitoring the development of prices and I am considering whether this matter should be prepared and possibly taken to the entire Board for discussion, ”says Lintilä.