Kjell, 81, took out a bank loan to pay the electricity bill "It's pure robbery"

Kjell, 81, forced to take out a bank loan to afford the electricity

Of:  

Katarina Norrgrann,  

Lindah C Mohlin,  

Robert Aschberg  

Published: Less than 1 hour ago  

Updated: Less than 30 min ago  

NEWS  

The utility bills ate up all the savings.  

The retired engineer Kjell, 81, in Örebro had to take out a bank loan to be able to pay. 

- I think it's absolutely to hell. It's criminal. How can they charge more than seven kroner per kilowatt hour for electricity that costs 35 öre to produce?  

In December 2020, Kjell paid SEK 1,861 for the electricity. A year later, the bill was suddenly SEK 13,223. 

- It's pure robbery. And that it may continue. Is there any honesty in this system? What would you say if you had to pay SEK 600-700 for a liter of milk? Can you do that? Should one be ready for such explosions?  

Kjell, who does not want to appear with name and picture, shakes his head at the absurd situation.  

Before this winter, he acquired a new air source heat pump to reduce electricity consumption. Even though the pump reduced his electricity use by 30 percent, the December invoice in 2022 still landed at SEK 13,037. 

Kjell is worried about the future. Kjell is worried about the future. Photo: MAGNUS WENNMAN 

"We live one day at a time" 

Kjell had envisioned a stable retired life with his wife in the 1970s villa, with a buffer in the bank as extra security. Now the reality looks different. 

- We have been forced to mortgage the house to afford the electricity bills. Otherwise we would not have been able to pay. And it is clear that I am worried about the future. We live one day at a time now and adapt as best we can. Are there others you know who have had to take out a loan? 

 - They talk about that very little. But I don't think we're alone. We are 1.5 million homeowners in the same situation. 

Kjell keeps track of electricity consumption. Photo: MAGNUS WENNMAN

- I am extremely reluctant to move. We live well here. I intend to stay here until they carry me out. And if we rent a two-room apartment in the city with a parking space, it will be more expensive than what it costs us here, excluding shocks like this.  

"Alms for the people"  

Now Kjell thinks that the politicians must take their responsibility and sort out the situation.  

- Statliga Vattenfall is Sweden's largest electricity producer. The price surplus between the production costs and the current galloping market price should be more than enough to lower the electricity price to a healthy level. Instead, alms from the state budget must be distributed to the starving people. Where does the money go?  

- We must free the electricity market from the EU. We have to set our own electricity prices and then the rest of Europe can have whatever the hell they want. Production cost plus reasonable profit, that is what electricity should cost in Sweden. If there is excess electricity, the producers can sell it to whomever they want, it is not something the Swedish state needs to worry about. But the population's access to electricity at a reasonable cost must be secured, says Kjell.