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COST OF LIVING

Danish prices could leave ‘thousands’ of homeowners unable to pay bills

An analysis by an organisation representing Danish banks has concluded that the effects of inflation and high energy prices could leave thousands of people in Denmark struggling to pay bills in 2023.

Danish prices could leave 'thousands' of homeowners unable to pay bills
An interest organisation for banks in Denmark has concluded that many homeowners and others with high overheads could struggle to pay bills in 2023. Photo: Kristian Djurhuus/Ritzau Scanpix

Increasing interest rates are a third factor that could makes bills harder to pay for many households next year, according to the analysis by banks’ interest organisation Finans Danmark, reported by broadcaster TV2.

Higher monthly overheads are set to continue in the foreseeable future, according to the analysis, in which Finans Danmark calculated expected disposable incomes for people living in Denmark in 2023.

According to the organisation, two in three families who own their own homes face extra costs of between 1,500 and 5,000 kroner per month.

Families with expensive heating systems – such as those in homes heated by individual gas heaters – could face paying between 2,500 and 6,000 kroner more each month.

READ ALSO: Danish Energy Agency advises homes with gas heating to conserve

Families most vulnerable to high energy bills and interest rates on their loans could pay as much as 4,500 to 9,500 kroner more per month. Around 120,000 families fit with this description, according to Finans Danmark.

“We are concerned. I don’t ever recall previously seeing a change to an outside circumstance, such as gas prices, which has eaten up so much money from Danish households,” the organisation’s CEO Ulrik Nødgaard told TV2.

Analysts have recently predicted that economic conditions will result in a higher number of people being out of work in Denmark next year.

“It’s obvious that when people are spending money on interest and gas that there is less money for other things, and demand in society will therefore fall, and subsequently something will happen to employment,” Nødgaard said.

Many families in Denmark will be able to cope with increased costs, however, he also said. That is because households will be able to fall back on savings in some cases.

The Finans Danmark CEO also told TV2 that there is a “need to consider targeted solutions in relation to helping the weakest,” in reference to the impact of high costs on people with the lowest incomes.

Banks are ready to help customers who are struggling, he said.

“We would basically like to help people through this. Banks have already reached out to their customers and said: ‘If you think things are looking difficult, pick up the phone and contact us, and we’ll find solutions,” he said.

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COST OF LIVING

How much could Danish agriculture CO2 tax affect food prices?

A new model for CO2 emissions tax on agriculture could mean customers pay more for a packet of beef, according to the expert committee which recommended the model.

How much could Danish agriculture CO2 tax affect food prices?

An expert committee on Wednesday presented its proposals for a carbon emissions tax on agriculture, including calculations of how the carbon tax will affect the price of products like meat and milk for consumers in Denmark.

The committee proposed a starting level of 750 kroner per ton emitted, along with two other options: 325 kroner and 125 kroner per ton emitted.

The highest rate, 750 kroner, would result in the price of 500 gram packed of beef increasing by 4.5 kroner, the head of the committee, Michael Svarer, said at a briefing.

For the 325-kroner rate, this would fall to 2.3 kroner. If the tax was 125 kroner per ton emitted, the price of 500g of beef would go up by 1.4 kroner.

For a litre of milk which currently costs 13 kroner, the price increases at each increment of the emissions tax would be 0.6 kroner, 0.3 kroner and 0.2 kroner respectively.

READ ALSO: Danish expert committee proposes CO2 emissions tax for agriculture

On average, the price of dairy and meat products would go up by just under 4 percent by 2030 if the model was imposed.

However, this is not expected to have an impact on inequality once factors like wage increases are taken into account, the committee found.

Any final decision on a CO2 emissions tax on agriculture must be made by parliament in the form of majority support for a bill. The government is not obliged to follow Tuesday’s recommendations.

The numbers should also be treated as a guide rather than hard fact, Svarer noted during the briefing.

“There are many steps you must go through and there’s naturally a lot of uncertainty,” he said.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously stated she did not want a green tax to push up food prices.

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