Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday
Energy prices heading skywards again, why undelivered letters jeopardised Britons' residency in Denmark, and increasing use of the 'morning-after pill' are among the top news stories in Denmark on Tuesday.
Electricity prices in Denmark skyrocket (again)
After a respite, the price of electricity jumps back to about 5 kroner per kilowatt-hour during periods of high demand starting Tuesday, broadcaster DR reports.
The recent wintery weather has driven Danes to their radiator dials just as the wind has died down, leaving wind farms idle. "So we have to buy our energy in Germany at a much higher price, because gas prices" dictate the price of energy in Germany more, says Jack Michael Kristensen, functional manager at Andel Energy, a top Danish energy provider.
The situation is exacerbated because Norwegian and Swedish hydropower facilities are currently underperforming, a Saxobank analyst tells DR.
Experts say we should expect the high prices to continue through at least December and perhaps into January.
READ MORE: 'Semi off-grid': Readers' tips for coping with expensive energy bills in Denmark
'Scores' of Britons in Denmark may not have received key Brexit letter
Many British citizens who moved to Denmark in 2020 — the last year they were eligible for EU 'free movement' before Brexit — never received key documents from the Danish government instructing them to update their residency status. Now, they face deportation if they missed the December 31st, 2021 deadline.
"It does seem unreasonable that a government agency is seemingly putting the responsibility on the resident to know of any changes that need to be made to government records, especially when SIRI [the Danish Agency for Recruitment and Integration, ed.] has not contacted those who they are now seemingly penalising for applying late," one affected reader told The Local Denmark.
READ MORE: Scores of Britons in Denmark may not have received Brexit residency letter
Use of 'regret' pills on the rise in Denmark
Emergency contraception pills, commonly called the 'morning-after' pill or Plan B, had a record-breaking year in Denmark in 2021 — and health advocates say it's a sign Danes are being more, not less, responsible with contraception, according to broadcaster DR.
About 136,000 doses of the morning-after pill (fortrydelsespiller in Danish, literally 'regret' or 'withdrawal' pill) were sold in 2021, up significantly from 107,000 in 2016. The jump was sharpest in Zealand, where sales leapt 44 percent.
While the morning-after pill shouldn't be used as a first-choice contraception method, Annemette Wildfang Lykkebo, chairman of the Danish Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, sees the increase as a positive.
"It is not irresponsible. It is rather responsible, because you act conscientiously and avoid a pregnancy," she told DR.
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Electricity prices in Denmark skyrocket (again)
After a respite, the price of electricity jumps back to about 5 kroner per kilowatt-hour during periods of high demand starting Tuesday, broadcaster DR reports.
The recent wintery weather has driven Danes to their radiator dials just as the wind has died down, leaving wind farms idle. "So we have to buy our energy in Germany at a much higher price, because gas prices" dictate the price of energy in Germany more, says Jack Michael Kristensen, functional manager at Andel Energy, a top Danish energy provider.
The situation is exacerbated because Norwegian and Swedish hydropower facilities are currently underperforming, a Saxobank analyst tells DR.
Experts say we should expect the high prices to continue through at least December and perhaps into January.
READ MORE: 'Semi off-grid': Readers' tips for coping with expensive energy bills in Denmark
'Scores' of Britons in Denmark may not have received key Brexit letter
Many British citizens who moved to Denmark in 2020 — the last year they were eligible for EU 'free movement' before Brexit — never received key documents from the Danish government instructing them to update their residency status. Now, they face deportation if they missed the December 31st, 2021 deadline.
"It does seem unreasonable that a government agency is seemingly putting the responsibility on the resident to know of any changes that need to be made to government records, especially when SIRI [the Danish Agency for Recruitment and Integration, ed.] has not contacted those who they are now seemingly penalising for applying late," one affected reader told The Local Denmark.
READ MORE: Scores of Britons in Denmark may not have received Brexit residency letter
Use of 'regret' pills on the rise in Denmark
Emergency contraception pills, commonly called the 'morning-after' pill or Plan B, had a record-breaking year in Denmark in 2021 — and health advocates say it's a sign Danes are being more, not less, responsible with contraception, according to broadcaster DR.
About 136,000 doses of the morning-after pill (fortrydelsespiller in Danish, literally 'regret' or 'withdrawal' pill) were sold in 2021, up significantly from 107,000 in 2016. The jump was sharpest in Zealand, where sales leapt 44 percent.
While the morning-after pill shouldn't be used as a first-choice contraception method, Annemette Wildfang Lykkebo, chairman of the Danish Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, sees the increase as a positive.
"It is not irresponsible. It is rather responsible, because you act conscientiously and avoid a pregnancy," she told DR.
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