The first radiators have hesitantly started to turn on in many European cities, but worries about what a warm house entails this year monopolize discussions from north to south. Maybe about Wolfgang Schäuble invite your compatriots to put on a second sweater and o Emmanuel Macron systematically launch turtlenecks, but Europeans are not limited to warm clothes. Many have filled their warehouses firewoodother places photovoltaicswhile those who can migrate to the most temperate climate…

In Norway, oil burners have been banned for several years, and natural gas may be produced in abundance but little is consumed domestically. “Therefore, we are left with electricity, which until now was very cheap and was produced mainly by hydroelectric power plants,” says Alexandros to Stef “K”.who lives in her Fredrikstad Norway. But in the last year – even before the start of the war – the Norwegians have watched the price of electricity rise steadily. “It hurts because it affects not only our domestic consumption and heating, but also our movement,” he notes. “Most people here drive electric vehicles.” Price fluctuations keep Norwegians on their toes. “It’s like the stock market, prices change hourly, at one in the afternoon we find out how much electricity will cost the next day,” he explains. “We have a system that tracks consumption in real time and tells us what time electricity is cheaper to charge the car and other devices.” Houses are heated by radiators or underfloor heating, or air conditioners, or a hot water circulation system through the floor, or heat pump radiators, depending on the financial capacity of each household. “For better or worse, I hit a tree and I’m not the only one,” he laughs as he already has the air conditioner on at 19.5 degrees.

“In Norway, the prices are like the stock market, they change hourly, at one in the afternoon we find out how much electricity will cost the next day.”

The Danes were more active. “Many people are running to install energy pumps,” one of the residents comments. Copenhagen, “However, too many areas are heated by the central incinerator, so they are covered for the winter.” Of course, the rules ask Danes to ditch their favorite dryer this year and hang out laundry in the (almost non-existent) sun. “We will try to implement it, but it is unrealistic,” she comments.

“Wait six to eight months,” reads a sign outside a shop selling energy fireplaces and stoves in Enef, near Eau de Toilette. “Our German friends and neighbors have massively purchased such heating systems,” Lazaros Hatsiaaleksandrou moves to “K”.. “There is an effervescence, people often fail to interpret geopolitical events and disagree with the new cooperative government or get sucked into conspiracy theories.” Big losers from price hikes natural gas those who had new contracts. “We used to change suppliers here every year based on the offer they gave us.” Thus, most consumers had 12-month contracts and today pay between 12 cents and 65 cents per kilowatt hour. “I was lucky that I was loyal to one provider and thus got an increase of only 4 minutes,” explains Mr. Hadziaaleksandro. Household photovoltaic systems have also become enthusiastic, with a waiting period of 8 months. “The purchase is expensive, but you can rent them for 100 euros a month,” he adds. “Pensioners, who earn up to 1,300 euros on average, are in a big stalemate,” he explains. “I know two couples who have closed their homes and gone to Spain because they think they can do better financially there because of the good weather.” The Germans see their quality of life disappearing in their fortified homeland. “Because of punctuality, they have given up their weekly meal and are afraid that they will not go on vacation in the summer.”

At the other end of Germany, in Munich, Nikos Itsines stands in front of his colleagues on teleconferences with three scarves. “We already had two weeks of heavy rain and low temperatures,” he explains, “I had to turn on the heating.” He plans to selectively turn on the heating for a few hours on difficult days, dress warmly inside the house, and buy a dehumidifier. “I am equally concerned about the power supply as it has been announced that there will be daily power outages.”

London and others

The “Killing Fog of 1952”, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Londoners, led to a ban on fireplaces in city centres, which is still enforced today. Now, few houses have a fireplace, which, however, does not work. Other data in United Kingdom they vary by location. “In London, all houses are connected to natural gas, the average individual income is high, and many households consist of one person,” the Greek resident explains, “this, combined with a government subsidy, makes the increase in energy prices bearable.” In other cities, such as Manchester, heating is provided by electric bodies. “There is a surcharge for installing a biomass burner that does not contain soil, because it cannot be installed in old apartment buildings.”