Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Thursday
The Danish households unaffected by high energy prices, a new at-home PCR programme, and an 'extraordinary' number of traffic accidents are among the top news stories in Denmark on Thursday.
Why some Danish households aren't affected by energy price spikes
While many Danish households suffer sky-high energy prices, some are spared — up to one million district heating customers, broadcaster DR reports.
District heating schemes offer customers in Denmark's four largest cities heating from a variety of sources — "waste, wood chips, straw, wind, solar heating, geothermal energy, natural gas, oil, coal, excess heat from industry and more," according to DR.
The district heat programmes are governed by a 'break-even principle,' meaning the companies managing them aren't allowed to make a profit.
However, since district heating can use such a wide array of energy sources, the difference between energy bills from two district heating programmes can be shocking, DR says. On January 1st of this year, it cost five times as much to heat a standard house with the most expensive district heating company than the least.
Currently, 1.8 million households (that's about two out of three in Denmark) receive district heating. A government plan aims to roll out district heating to hundreds of thousands more households by 2028, though experts say the timeline is unrealistically ambitious.
READ MORE: Denmark announces major plan to expand district heating
Danish infectious disease agency pilots at-home PCR tests for COVID
Today, only one PCR test centre is available to the 1.3 million residents of the Greater Copenhagen Region. After Denmark all-but shuttered its extensive public COVID testing programme in the spring, health officials haven't had access to high quality monitoring data. A new trial by the State Serum Institute, Denmark's infectious disease agency, hopes to bring PCR tests home.
An estimated 3,000 people in the Valby area will participate in the test from December 1st to December 22nd, according to an SSI press release. They'll use a take-home test kit with an associated app to collect a sample and turn it in at a centralized collection point.
READ MORE: How to get a Covid-19 booster in Denmark
Snow and ice lead to 'extraordinary' number of traffic accidents
Yesterday's slush led to dangerous traffic conditions, according to newswire Ritzau. A North Zealand officer called the number of accidents 'extraordinary' after tallying about twenty in his jurisdiction during the morning shift of December 7th alone. (All were material damage only with no injuries reported.)
Temperatures are expected to stay at or below freezing on Thursday, the Danish Meteorological Institute predicts. Karina Svendsen, officer on duty at the Danish Road Directorate's Traffic Centre, urges caution for those hitting the roads. "You have to drive carefully and be aware that it can be slippery out there," she says.
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Why some Danish households aren't affected by energy price spikes
While many Danish households suffer sky-high energy prices, some are spared — up to one million district heating customers, broadcaster DR reports.
District heating schemes offer customers in Denmark's four largest cities heating from a variety of sources — "waste, wood chips, straw, wind, solar heating, geothermal energy, natural gas, oil, coal, excess heat from industry and more," according to DR.
The district heat programmes are governed by a 'break-even principle,' meaning the companies managing them aren't allowed to make a profit.
However, since district heating can use such a wide array of energy sources, the difference between energy bills from two district heating programmes can be shocking, DR says. On January 1st of this year, it cost five times as much to heat a standard house with the most expensive district heating company than the least.
Currently, 1.8 million households (that's about two out of three in Denmark) receive district heating. A government plan aims to roll out district heating to hundreds of thousands more households by 2028, though experts say the timeline is unrealistically ambitious.
READ MORE: Denmark announces major plan to expand district heating
Danish infectious disease agency pilots at-home PCR tests for COVID
Today, only one PCR test centre is available to the 1.3 million residents of the Greater Copenhagen Region. After Denmark all-but shuttered its extensive public COVID testing programme in the spring, health officials haven't had access to high quality monitoring data. A new trial by the State Serum Institute, Denmark's infectious disease agency, hopes to bring PCR tests home.
An estimated 3,000 people in the Valby area will participate in the test from December 1st to December 22nd, according to an SSI press release. They'll use a take-home test kit with an associated app to collect a sample and turn it in at a centralized collection point.
READ MORE: How to get a Covid-19 booster in Denmark
Snow and ice lead to 'extraordinary' number of traffic accidents
Yesterday's slush led to dangerous traffic conditions, according to newswire Ritzau. A North Zealand officer called the number of accidents 'extraordinary' after tallying about twenty in his jurisdiction during the morning shift of December 7th alone. (All were material damage only with no injuries reported.)
Temperatures are expected to stay at or below freezing on Thursday, the Danish Meteorological Institute predicts. Karina Svendsen, officer on duty at the Danish Road Directorate's Traffic Centre, urges caution for those hitting the roads. "You have to drive carefully and be aware that it can be slippery out there," she says.
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