Designated electricity suppliers

The plan sees electricity as part of Sweden's infrastructure where prices should be based on social-economic goals, and means the state has an important role in keeping corporate pricing at reasonable levels. That passive customers pay significantly more is precisely the kind of market-solution result the plan criticizes when it states that privatizations have led to higher electricity prices. A requirement for regular procurement of designated electricity suppliers therefore aligns with the plan.

• electricity as infrastructuredecisive»Vi ser el och värme som en del av Sveriges infrastruktur, där investeringar och priser behöver utgå från samhällsekonomiska mål.« (party programme ↗)“We see electricity and heat as part of Sweden's infrastructure, where investments and prices need to be based on social-economic goals.”
• reasonable pricing»Staten kan också spela viktiga roller för att hålla företagens prissättning på en rimlig nivå.« (party programme ↗)“The state can also play important roles in keeping corporate pricing at a reasonable level.”
• privatizations raise electricity costs»Privatiseringar har lett till dyrare elpris« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Privatizations have led to more expensive electricity prices”

The plan requires that unfair pricing is prevented and that energy prices are low and fair throughout the country. That passive customers with assigned contracts pay significantly more is precisely such a market failure, and regular procurement is a means to press down prices. The election manifesto also wants to use surpluses in the electrical system to reduce customer costs. The counter-proposal is supported.

• stop unfair pricingdecisive»Förhindrande av priskarteller och oskälig prissättning.« (party programme ↗)“Prevention of price cartels and unfair pricing.”
• low and fair electricity prices»Låga och rättvisa energipriser i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Low and fair energy prices throughout the country.”
• reduced electricity costs for customers»Vi vill se till att intäkterna från kapacitetsavgifter som inte används för nätinvesteringar används både för att minska prisskillnaderna och sänka kostnaderna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to ensure that revenues from capacity charges not used for grid investments are used both to reduce price differences and lower costs.”

The plan establishes that the state shall ensure regulations that make markets function well and counter private monopolies and lack of competition that disadvantage ordinary households. Assigned electricity contracts harm precisely passive customers with higher prices, and regular procurement is a means to reduce these prices. The counter-proposal's requirements are therefore in line with the plan's goal of electricity at low prices for households and businesses.

• the state shall regulate marketsdecisive»Staten ska säkerställa att det finns regelverk och institutioner som ser till att marknader« (party programme ↗)“The state shall ensure that there are regulations and institutions that ensure markets”
• counter lack of competition»präglas av privata monopol och bristande konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“characterized by private monopolies and lack of competition.”
• state consumer protection»Staten har ett ansvar att motverka en sådan utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“The state has a responsibility to counter such development.”
• low electricity prices for households»energisystem som kan leverera el dygnet runt, året om – till låga priser för hushåll och« (party programme ↗)“energy system that can deliver electricity 24/7, year-round – at low prices for households and”

The plan wants to dampen prices through freer markets and better competition, and sees competition as an important driver in market economy. That assigned electricity trading companies are procured regularly means that companies get to compete for the passive customers instead of being able to charge them higher prices. The counter-proposal's demands therefore align with the plan's competition line.

• competition dampens pricesdecisive»Genom att skapa friare marknader och förbättra konkurrensen kan vi dämpa priserna ytterligare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By creating freer markets and improving competition we can dampen prices further.”
• competition as a driver»Konkurrens är en viktig drivkraft för utvecklingen av marknadsekonomin.« (party programme ↗)“Competition is an important driver for the development of the market economy.”
• competition-neutral rules»Viktigt är också att näringslivet får konkurrensneutrala regelverk« (party programme ↗)“Also important is that business gets competition-neutral rules”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan places the consumer's position and sound competition at the centre of the market's rules and explicitly wants to drive down electricity prices for households. A requirement for recurring procurement of designated electricity trading companies is precisely a measure that creates competition for passive customers and strengthens their position in the contractual relationship. The plan thereby speaks for the counter-proposal's requirement, even though it does not mention the designation system.

• strengthened consumer protection in contractsdecisive»Den enskildes inflytande över de avtal som ingås i vardagen behöver stärkas genom förbättrad konsument- och avtalslagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's influence over the contracts entered into in everyday life needs to be strengthened through improved consumer and contract legislation.”
• rules for sound competition»Marknadsekonomin kräver spelregler för att upprätthålla en sund konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“A market economy requires rules to maintain sound competition.”
• lower electricity prices for households»Ska vi få ner elpriserna krävs att vi bygger inte bara kärnkraft utan också mer sol- och vindkraft i hela landet, investerar i kraftsystemet och satsar på energilagring.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To get down electricity prices we need to build not just nuclear power but also more solar and wind power across the country, invest in the power system and focus on energy storage.”
• informed and strong consumer»I en fungerande marknadsekonomi har konsumenten kunskap och makt att fatta välinformerade beslut.« (party programme ↗)“In a functioning market economy, the consumer has knowledge and power to make well-informed decisions.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that effective competition policy should prevent oligopoly and unfair competition and that an energy market with increased competition benefits customers. That passive customers are directed to more expensive contracts without suppliers having to compete for them contradicts this. The counter-proposal's requirement for regular procurement of assigned electricity trading companies is therefore supported by the plan, which moreover explicitly wants to protect households against high electricity costs.

• effective competition policydecisive»konkurrenspolitik motverkar oligopol, monopol och illojal konkurrens« (party programme ↗)“competition policy prevents oligopoly, monopoly and unfair competition”
• competition benefits electricity customers»energimarknad med ökad konkurrens är till nytta för kunderna.« (party programme ↗)“energy market with increased competition benefits customers.”
• protect households against electricity prices»Inför en “stötdämpare” i elskatten så att den sänks om elpriserna ökar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a "shock absorber" in the electricity tax so it is reduced if electricity prices increase.”
• oversight of pricing»Prisbildningen och marknadens funktionssätt behöver samtidigt hållas under kontinuerlig« (party programme ↗)“Pricing and market functioning must at the same time be kept under continuous”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants electricity prices for households to be pushed down and that the state shall promote competition in the markets. A requirement for regular procurement of designated electricity trading companies means that the companies compete for the passive customers, which lowers their costs. The plan therefore stands behind the counter-proposal's requirement.

• promoted competitiondecisive»skydda penningvärdet, främja konkurrensen« (party programme ↗)“protect the value of money, promote competition”
• lower electricity costs for households»Du ska ha råd med elräkningen – vi ska omedelbart sänka elpriserna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“You should be able to afford the electricity bill – we shall immediately lower electricity prices”
• review of the design of the electricity market»Se över elprisområdenas utformning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Review the design of electricity price areas”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's starting point for energy policy is affordable and reliable energy supply for both households and business, and it wants to secure access to cheap electricity. A requirement for regular procurement of designated electricity suppliers pushes prices for customers who today pay the most, which aligns with that commitment. The plan does not however address the designation system directly.

• affordable energy supplydecisive»vill Sverigedemokraterna föra en energipolitik som säkerställer en prisvärd och tillförlitlig energiförsörjning för såväl hushåll som näringsliv« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to conduct an energy policy that ensures affordable and reliable energy supply for both households and business”
• cheap electricity»Säkra tillgången till pålitlig och billig el genom satsningar på framtidens kärnkraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Secure access to reliable and cheap electricity through investments in future nuclear power.”
• competitive electricity supply»Vår grundläggande inställning är att energipolitiken ska vara inriktad på att säkerställa en långsiktigt konkurrenskraftig och tillförlitlig energiförsörjning, för såväl hushåll som näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our fundamental position is that energy policy shall be directed towards ensuring long-term competitive and reliable energy supply, for both households and business.”
• lower electricity costs»Sänka skatten på elenergi permanent för att underlätta elektrifieringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the tax on electricity permanently to facilitate electrification”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.