If you’re living under the assumptions that electricity prices are the same across the entire country of Norway, then you, undeniably, have the wrong conclusion. You may have never thought about this before, probably because you have been perfectly content with the power prices in your area, but if that has changed, then you may have started wondering if the costs would be the same if you were in another region. That is one reason why you may have gotten curious about the regions.
Furthermore, you may have talked to some people you know, people that don’t live in the same area as you do, and you may have realized that the costs of electricity are different for you and for them. That is another reason why you may have become curious about all of this. So, what you want to do right now is figure out which zone you are actually in, and what that means for you and for your prices.
That is the topic that we will be dealing with today, starting with getting you familiar with the 5 different power regions in the country, and then proceeding to helping you understand which one you’re in. Ultimately, you will want to get a clearer understanding about what it means to be in one zone or another, so that is another thing we will cover in this article. If you continue reading, thus, you will get a completely clear idea about the zones and about the power prices attached to the different zones.
What Are the 5 Power Zones in Norway?
Let us begin with the basics. You first have to understand the various strømregioner in Norway, as well as find out precisely why such a division exists in the first place. If you’ve ever wondered how the country is divided when it comes to power zones, as well as why it is divided, now is the time for you to find that out.
Often called price zones or price areas as well, the power regions make it clear that the costs of electricity differ from one to another. Had the country not been divided, you would have the same price regardless of where you are located. The thing is, though, that it is divided, and into five different regions:
- Eastern
- Southern
- Central
- Western
- Northern
Clearly, there are differences in prices in all of these regions, which can sometimes be quite large. Wondering why that is so, and why the division was even necessary? Why can’t the whole country just be one power zone and thus have the same prices regardless of the location? Well, there is a reason for that, so let me now explain it to you, aiming at helping you understand precisely why the regions are necessary, before proceeding towards figuring out what your zone is and what that means specifically for you.
As you may have guessed it already, the amount of electricity produced, and the access to it can vary from one area to another. This hints at the fact that dividing the country into regions is definitely necessary, because the fact that the production differs clearly indicates that the prices have to differ as well. In order for this to be even clearer, you’ll need to understand the concept of the power balance.
The power balance is basically the relationship between the supply and the demand of power, and it is different in various regions. There can be a surplus of electricity in some regions, and then a deficit in another, based on how much is produced and how much is consumed. So, if, for example, the demand is high and the production is low, there may be need for power transmission from other regions, which will also impact the price itself. This is why the country is divided into zones, and this is why there are differences in prices in those various zones.
Which Zone Are You In?
Now, figuring out hvilken strømsone, that is, which zone you are in probably won’t be difficult, given that the regions are so logically divided. If you are, however, struggling, you will get to find the information easily online, with a simply search query regarding the power zones. Don’t forget to type in your location to figure out the zone. I won’t list all the areas here, as that would take too much time, but the basic rule to follow is that the zone depends on the geographical location in the country.
This map could make things even clearer: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-map-shows-outlines-of-Norwegian-municipalities-coded-by-electricity-price-zones-NO3_fig1_369792492
What Does That Mean for You?
Having taken the time to figure out which particular zone you are in, chances are you are now wondering what that means for you specifically. You understand already that the prices differ in different regions, but you may not know how they differ or where they are the highest and the lowest. So, this is the next thing that you absolutely need to learn, so as to finally get a better understanding of your bill and to figure out why it may be quite different than the bills your friends of relatives in other zones may be getting.
Let me give you a clearer idea about what to expect, depending on the region you are in. Recently, the Northern region has had significantly lower prices than the Southern and the Eastern regions. There have even been instances when the southern parts of the country have had to pay 10 times more for electricity than the northern parts. This primarily happens in the winter, when the consumption, and thus the demand, is higher.
The differences are certainly big, as you can see. In general, you can always expect electricity to cost less in the North and more in the South. Of course, the ultimate prices will depend on the suppliers as well, but they will adjust their prices to the regions as well. So, if you’re living in the south, you may want to use some consumption reduction methods if you want to start getting lower bills. Sure, doing so will come in handy across the entire country, but perhaps the South has the biggest reason to do it.
Why Do Those Price Differences Exist?
As we have made it clear, there can be quite large differences in prices among the various regions of the country. Several different factors affect those differences, and I am now going to tell you about a few of those, hoping to help you clearly comprehend why the prices will vary from one place to another. Let’s get a better idea about the factors, thus.
First things first, there is the water level in the power reservoirs – a factor that certainly affects the prices and that is quite logical, given that hydropower is a large part of what Norway relies on. So, the more rainfall and the more amount of water in the reservoirs, the more electricity will be produced. Meaning, the supply will be higher, which is why the prices could be lower. On the other hand, if there is not enough water in the reservoirs, the supply will decrease and the prices will increase.
Furthermore, the prices will be affected by bottlenecks in the power grid, as well as by the price levels of electricity in Europe. The latter because Norway sometimes has to import electricity, due to lower production. So, the price the country will buy the power at will definitely affect the ultimate price that the end consumer will get.
I have also explained above that the prices will differ from one supplier or another, so that is something else to consider. Thus, if you are not happy with the electricity bills, it may be because of the region you are in, but it may also be because of the supplier you’re working with. Always aim at finding a good supplier that will offer you fair prices.
