Richard Nyman lives in tough conditions where electricity prices are at their highest.
To deal with the sky-high electricity bills, he has adapted his everyday life and he currently lives with 15-17 degrees at home.
– I have friends that I can’t bring here during the day, it’s too cold, says Richard Nyman.
Student Richard Nyman lives alone in a tenement in Skövde. Located in electricity area 3, (SE3), forced to pay high prices because SE3 is currently the area with the highest electricity price in Sweden.
Richard has adapted to his conditions and with the help of an app he follows the electricity price slavishly. He turns off lights, avoids washing dishes and cooks when it’s cheapest. In addition, he wears underwear, thick sweaters and slippers at home to be able to live in 15-17 degrees. He cannot afford to raise the elements any more when prices are at their highest.
– The hard part is having to go and think about lowering it, that you can’t have a comfortable temperature, he says.
“You slow down just about everything”
Although he tries to live as normally as possible, his everyday life is still significantly affected. He says that he would like to have Christmas parties at home, but that is not possible at the moment.
– I have friends that I can’t bring here during the day, it’s too cold. It is not so much fun to have someone visit when you feel that the person is sitting and freezing. You slow down your plans, you slow down just about everything, he says.
Welcome a new electricity support
In 2023, the government introduced an electricity subsidy for households throughout the country after the high prices in 2022. After the price shock of the last few days, the government has opened up a new electricity subsidy. It is something that Richard welcomes, although he is skeptical of the motive behind such a decision.
– It depends on what they earn from it themselves. We are not the ones who suffer and are the focus here. If you put in a package like that, it’s only because people start to get pissed off, he says.