The government is working to put in place an extension of the adopted electricity scheme for households by the end of January, which will ensure that all farmers are included.
Some farmers fell outside the household scheme because their homes are not separated on their own electricity meter. Common meters for housing and farming are coded as agricultural meters, and did not appear on the customer lists of the grid companies that pay electricity subsidies.
But now it is just before an extension of the scheme is in place and presented to the Storting, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy states. The solution is to pay support on the basis of each individual meter on the farm.
Got a nice surprise
The scheme looks very different, depending on how many electricity meters there are on the individual farm.
The couple Jon Ansten Johansen and Mina Mjærum Johansen at Øvre Berger Gård in Nordre Follo posed before the weekend up on TV 2 and told how the power support turns out for their part.
They have three electricity meters on the farm and can be paid the support three times. It provides a maximum support of a total of 11,049 kroner in December, against the maximum amount of 3,683 for ordinary households in Viken, and for farmers with only one electricity meter.
– It is beneficial for us, the couple stated.
If the support were to remain at approximately the same level in January, February and March, a farmer with three electricity meters would be paid around NOK 30,000 more in support than ordinary households and a farmer with a common meter.
The more the state covers, the bigger the difference.
Vedum receives support twice
No krone in electricity support is paid to anyone without the schemes being checked and approved by the Ministry of Finance. And as is well known, SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum is in charge.
Like the SP’s other eight ministers, the Center Party’s party leader grew up on a farm, and he owns and runs the farm Bjørby gård in Stange.
– Sp leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum paints the barn at home on his farm in Stange. Photo: Yngve Sem Pedersen / TV 2
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There he has lined up as a regular farmer, painted the barn with photographers present, and also gave his national assembly speech there after being crowned as SP’s prime ministerial candidate.
But the political leadership in the Ministry of Finance was no longer eager to disclose how the support scheme affects Vedum.
At first he did not have time.
– Political leadership does not have the opportunity to prioritize this issue now, the communications department in the Ministry of Finance stated on Friday.
On Monday morning, TV 2 was informed that Vedum’s personal consumption in the family is not relevant.
Then the Minister of Finance answered how many electricity meters he has:
– On the farm I have two. One is connected to drainage and bogs and such types of things, and one is connected to houses, says Vedum.
How much Vedum gets in total in public electricity support for households in the first month, we do not get an answer. Nor whether Vedum is included in the adopted scheme or not.
– That scheme treats everyone equally, so all electricity customers get the same schemes if you do not have a fixed price agreement before, says Vedum.
– The Center Party’s leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum gave the national assembly speech at home on the farm in Stange. Photo: Sverre Saabye / TV 2
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Maximum limit in Viken
If Vedum’s electricity consumption reaches the ceiling of 5,000 kWh in December on the house, he will get back the maximum amount of support in Viken of NOK 3,683. He will be able to get the equivalent on the other meter.
Maximum household support for farmers who have two meters is NOK 7,366 on the bill for December, ie twice as much as other households.
The scheme is not aimed at farming, but this is the only solution NVE and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy have found that can be implemented.
How it will turn out when the support is increased from 55 to 80 percent depends on what the average price will be in the coming months, and on consumption.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has prepared the electricity support scheme for households in collaboration with NVE, and is working to expand it so that all farmers are included.
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