Expert: Here are three suggestions on how to cut the top off the sky-high electricity prices

**Expert:** Here are three suggestions on how to cut the top off the sky-high electricity prices

Geopolitical unrest and the weather phenomenon 'dunkelflaute' have once again sent electricity prices soaring.

Although electricity is more expensive in autumn and winter, an expert sees a light in the darkness when it comes to electricity prices. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)

By Laurits Buck Madsen ([email protected]) 15 minutes ago

Electricity prices are again sky-high, and on Monday the price peaked this year, reaching seven kroner per kilowatt-hour between 5 PM and 6 PM.

After a 2026 where, so far, an average Danish household has saved several hundred kroner each month on their electricity bill as a result of the Folketing reducing the electricity tax to the EU's minimum rate at the turn of the year, electricity prices can once again be felt in the wallet.

Read also: Electricity price crosses a threshold: Now the saving is more than gone (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/penge/elpris-krydser-graense-nu-er-besparelse-mere-end-vaek)

The high prices are generally due to geopolitical unrest, but right now especially also due to the weather phenomenon 'dunkelflaute', which directly translated means 'dark calm' and is typical for the time of year without much sunlight and wind to create cheap and green energy.

While it is difficult to change the weather, according to Jacob Østergaard, professor in electrical and energy systems at DTU, there are other things we can do to make electricity cheaper in periods when the wind is still and the sun isn't shining.

The time period between 5 PM and 9 PM is called the 'cooking peak' and is the most expensive time of day to use electricity. (Photo: © Ida Marie Odgaard, Ritzau Scanpix)

Think about when you turn on the electricity - and how necessary it is, is the first recommendation from the professor.

- Electricity prices are largely about supply and demand.

Therefore, Jacob Østergaard advises that, as a consumer, you should as much as possible avoid consumption that can be postponed during the time period between 5 PM and 9 PM, when many people use electricity, and for example, postpone charging your electric car to a later time when electricity is cheaper.

- The individual consumer can save money on that. But it actually helps all of us, because the price spikes become smaller when consumption is moved away from the most heavily loaded hours, he says.

Wind turbines on Samsø, Wednesday, August 27, 2025. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)

We have heard it before, but Jacob Østergaard emphasizes the 'obvious' point:

- Invest even more in renewable energy. Both because an increased supply will cause prices to fall, but there are also good security policy arguments for making ourselves less dependent on distant regions.

With greater investments in renewable energy in the region, Denmark and Europe can to a higher degree make themselves independent of gas, coal, and oil from the Middle East, USA, and Russia.

Jacob Østergaard also points out that electricity production must be able to keep up with the electrification of our society, which was also on the agenda during the COP31 climate summit today, where the world's countries want to increase energy consumption from electricity. (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/viden/klima/trods-taarnhoeje-priser-cop31-vil-have-dig-til-bruge-mere-el)

- When more and more people, for example, drive electric cars, production must also keep up. Otherwise, we cannot make that transition.

Torben Henriksen, who is a gardener at Nonnebo, has bought large batteries due to electricity prices. (Photo: © Ida Grøndahl Westh, DR)

When the sun shines and the wind blows, we produce a lot of energy. And we need to be better at storing that energy so it can be used when weather conditions do not favor production.

- Batteries have become enormously cheaper than before. This means it is attractive to set up a battery when electricity is cheap, and discharge it when electricity is expensive.

This can be both large batteries connected to solar cells or wind turbines, where electricity can be stored, but also with smaller batteries as a private individual, so you can store electricity for the hours of the day when electricity prices are high, explains Jacob Østergaard.

This could be, for example, commercial companies that connect large batteries to their energy systems, but due to capacity problems in the electricity grid, there has not been a great business incentive to invest in batteries (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/danmark-kaldes-et-uland-naar-det-kommer-til-store-batterier), since Energinet closed for new connections to the electricity grid in March.

Read also: Tired of high electricity prices: Has thrown thousands of kroner at two large batteries (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/traet-af-hoeje-elpriser-har-kastet-tusindvis-af-kroner-efter-store-batterier)

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