Experts: Lower consumption and Estlink 2 will keep electricity prices down

Experts say electricity prices may remain lower in the coming months as the undersea Estlink 2 cable is operating again and the start of a lower-consumption season. The Middle East crisis will become more noticeable after the summer season ends.
The price of exchange-traded electricity was below one cent per kilowatt-hour on Sunday morning and before noon.
Fuel seller Alexela said low prices at this time of year are typical. In spring and summer, there are increasingly more hours when renewable energy drives electricity prices down. The colder months at the beginning of the year did not prompt Alexela's customers to switch packages.
"Instead, the trend was that new customers joined. Our existing customers switched packages at a normal rate, as they had already chosen fixed or newer solutions. Of the new customers, nearly 80 percent chose a fixed solution," said Ester Ausmees, head of the private customers and small businesses at Alexela.
Customers do not tend to change packages frequently despite the uncertain situation.
"Since lower exchange prices often occur at times when the customer is not at home, they may not be beneficial. Especially if home consumption cannot be managed in any way," Ausmees noted.
Energy expert Marko Allikson predicted that prices will also remain low during the daytime in the coming months. But this depends on solar energy, which can be exported. Estonia has enough solar panels to cover all consumption on a calm day.
"Over the past two years, Estlink 2 has been out of operation, but at present the cables are working. Consumption decreases in spring and the share of solar energy increases. At the same time, Latvia has its spring high water, which pushes prices down," Allikson explained.
Summer consumption is low, and the majority of it is currently covered via Estlink, while neighboring countries' hydropower lowers prices. The Middle East crisis will start to be felt once the renewable energy season ends.
"The more we move from summer toward autumn, the more high gas prices will begin to directly affect our electricity prices," Allikson added.
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Editor: Helen Wright, Mari Peegel
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera









