Last night on A-studio, there was a segment on electricity, and it irks me that people are dwelling a bit too much on these few days and cold spells when prices have been really high or consumption has been close to exceeding production capacity. Overall, we’ve managed well, and the situation is improving all the time. Out of curiosity, I went for a drive during the cold weather when Fingrid warned of a possible power shortage; there wasn’t much sign of saving energy, at least regarding street lighting, outdoor lighting, etc., either by private individuals or in industrial areas. Of course, consumption data showed that at least spot-price (pörssisähkö) customers minimized their usage. We should be able to address that power shortage situation on a national level, at least so that as the critical limit approaches, a hazard warning is announced on TV and possibly via text message, like the test alerts that have often scrolled across the top of the TV screen. A potential power shortage affects everyone, whether they have a fixed-rate or spot-price contract; consumers also need to accept temporary flexibility and not always just blame the government or the electricity companies. It’s clear that more balancing power and transmission grids are needed, and more are on the way. It’s just that in years past, people were accustomed to electricity being cheap and always being served on a silver platter. The war started by our eastern neighbor shuffled the deck, but within a few years, we can tell Putin regarding energy to “keep your jack” (pidä tunkkis) if he happens to still be alive—that’s the best part of all this.