Energy Minister Ebba Busch of the Christian Democrats was interviewed by SVT reporter Kristina Lagerström but suddenly broke off the conversation. The reporter wanted to show a diagram of electric vehicle sales for four Nordic countries, but Ebba Busch shot the messenger instead of commenting on the content of the diagram. She did not want to comment on the diagram of electric vehicle sales. This interview scene is part of SVT's short documentary 'Vid pump' published this week, which is about fuel prices and the development of electric vehicle sales in Sweden.
Electric vehicle sales in Sweden have stagnated at just under 40 percent in recent years, while they have soared in Denmark and Norway. Last year, the share of electric vehicles sold in Denmark was almost up to 70 percent, while Norway leads the Nordic electric vehicle league overwhelmingly at over 90 percent. The curve diagram comes from the Climate Policy Council's latest report presented in mid-March. Since the 2022 election, the government together with SD has pursued a policy that has completely slowed down the climate transition to phase out fossil fuels in the transport sector, eventually going backwards.
Now it must be possible for me to answer. All your questions are incredibly politically colored. They are not neutral approaches. It is a very clear angle.
The consequence of this policy is that the expected sales increase of electric vehicles in Sweden has failed to materialize. The reason for the stagnation in electric vehicle sales is sharply reduced taxes on petrol and diesel together with reduced reduction obligation, meaning requirements for blending biofuels have been lowered, along with lowered world market oil prices leading to sharply reduced prices at the pump until the Iran war. Former EU Commissioner Franz Timmermans was interviewed in the TV documentary and is strongly critical of the climate policy that the Tidö parties have pursued since the last election.
Ebba Busch does not believe Jimmie Åkesson of the Sweden Democrats has what it takes to handle the job as prime minister. The Liberals and Moderates have agreed to let the Sweden Democrats into a possible future government. When Åkesson and Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson presented the cooperation at a press conference, Kristersson also promised heavy ministerial posts, something Ebba Busch reacted strongly to. While the Sweden Democrats get possible ministerial posts, they support Kristersson as a future prime minister.
If you compare our calendars during this mandate period, for example, then he doesn't work so much in relation to how much I or many others work.
Ebba Busch has great respect for the high price Jimmie Åkesson has had to pay during his 21 years as party leader, including threats against him, his family, employees, and elected officials, and acknowledges he works very hard in periods. Energy Minister Ebba Busch directs sharp criticism at SVT.
There was great confusion last Friday among grid companies after the government's announcement that it is stopping the requirement for the introduction of the criticized effect fees on electricity. By January 1, 2027 at the latest, the effect tariffs are to take effect. Many electricity companies have already introduced a special fee on the electricity bill based on how much electricity is consumed simultaneously. Several large companies, including Vattenfall and Eon, have not introduced the special fee on the electricity bill based on simultaneous consumption.
Then you will have to pay for it again in a negotiation in the fall. Therefore, it is nothing that I have signed off on. One does not have a mandate to give away certain subject areas in the government in advance.
From January 1, 2027, the law requires everyone to charge a power fee. The parties in the Tidö agreement have agreed to review the law on power fees. Many households and businesses have contacted Ebba Busch and expressed concerns about the power fee system. Surveys have shown that many people do not understand the power fee system. How the review of the power fee law will work or which authority will be tasked with it is not yet clear.
The purpose of the power charge is to encourage electricity customers to spread their consumption over the day. Spreading electricity consumption reduces pressure on the electricity system and allows more consumers to be connected without expanding the grid unnecessarily. The change among electricity network companies that have already introduced the system has been met with criticism that it has resulted in more expensive electricity bills without anyone understanding why. Electricity network companies are not allowed to increase the overall fee for the entire customer group, so when some lose out, those who can even out their electricity consumption become winners on the new power tariffs.
We will review whether to make sensible adjustments to the power fee law or stop it outright.
Different electricity companies have different ways of solving the power tariff, but essentially the customer partly pays for their occasional power peaks during a month. In Ellevio's case, the fee consists of three parts and an additional rule for nights: a fixed fee, transmission fee, power charge based on the average of the three highest power peaks, and at night only half the power peak is counted. The widespread confusion and worry about the power fee system highlight ongoing challenges in its implementation, with many calling for greater clarity and transparency from authorities.
The power fee has had completely unreasonable consequences and we have to clean it up.
The power charge doesn't help electrification in the way that was initially thought.