Expert offers three ways to curb soaring electricity prices

Electricity prices reached their highest level of the year on Monday, topping seven kroner per kilowatt-hour between 5pm and 6pm. DR reports that an energy systems expert sees three ways to ease price spikes, even when weather conditions limit wind and solar power.

Prices have risen again after Danish households saved several hundred kroner a month on average so far in 2026, following a reduction in the electricity tax to the European Union minimum rate at the start of the year.

Geopolitical uncertainty is a general factor behind the high prices, while current conditions are also affected by a weather pattern known as “dunkelflaute”, or “dark stillness”. It typically occurs at this time of year, when there is little sunlight or wind to generate cheap, renewable electricity.

Jacob Østergaard, a professor of electrical and energy systems at the Technical University of Denmark, says consumers and policymakers can take steps to reduce costs when the wind is still and the sun is not shining.

Shift electricity use away from peak hours

Østergaard advises consumers to avoid or postpone electricity use where possible between 5pm and 9pm, when demand is high and prices are typically at their peak. For example, electric vehicle charging could be moved to a later time when electricity is cheaper.

Shifting consumption can save money for individual households and reduce price spikes for everyone by easing demand during the busiest hours, he says.

Invest more in renewable energy

More investment in renewable energy would increase supply and help bring prices down, Østergaard says. He also argues that greater regional production could make Denmark and Europe less dependent on gas, coal and oil from the Middle East, the United States and Russia.

Electricity production must also keep pace with the shift towards using electricity in more parts of society, including transport. As more people drive electric cars, production needs to grow to support the transition, he says.

Make electricity storage cheaper

When the sun shines and the wind blows, renewable sources can produce more energy than is needed at the time. Østergaard says batteries can store that electricity for use when production is lower. Falling battery costs make it more attractive to charge batteries when electricity is cheap and use the stored power when prices rise.

Storage can come from large batteries connected to solar or wind facilities, as well as smaller batteries used by households. Businesses can also install batteries alongside energy systems.

However, grid capacity problems have limited the business case for battery investment. Energinet stopped accepting new connections to the electricity grid in March, the article says.

Tags: electricity prices, renewable energy, Denmark