Oslo residents tops in wasting energy

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Norwegians, led by those in Oslo, use more electricity than anyone else in the world. A new study shows consumption at 10 times the worldwide average, with even people in equally cold and dark Sweden using 10,000 kilowatt hours less per year.

"We use lots of heat and leave the lights on at night," says energy analyst Oddmund Braut. "It's no secret that we waste energy."

Figures from the state Central Bureau of Statistics show average electricity consumption per person of 27,277 kilowatt hours in Norway. That compares to 17,000 per person in Sweden, 5,728 per person elsewhere in Europe and just 2,240 in the rest of the world.

Braut told newspaper Aftenposten Aften that he believes electricity prices would decline if Norwegians pared their usage.

Some of the consumption can be explained by Norway's long, dark and cold winters, even though residents of Sweden and Finland are far more disciplined. Norwegians light up their homes and cabins to offset the darkness, most use electricity for their heating systems (as opposed to gas or oil, which is more common elsewhere) and also have all-electric kitchens.

Public areas also tend to be well-lit. The hills above Oslo, for example, are full of lighted ski trails at night, and that's something not found many other places.

Years of plentiful and relatively reasonable power from Norway's hydro-electric sources have fueled Norwegian consumption. A recent jump in electricity rates, however, may change local behavior.

"Our children used to take a hot bath every night," signed Oslo mother. "Now I almost don't dare run the clothes dryer."

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2002

Answers

So much for the US being demonized for guzzling energy.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2002

"Our children used to take a hot bath every night," signed Oslo mother. "Now I almost don't dare run the clothes dryer."

Did she use the dryer to heat the water? I don't see the connection.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2002


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