In Vigrestad on Jæren, the local sports team is one of many affected by the energy crisis.

The track would have been gas heated for the winter, but they didn’t get any money for it.

– This ultimately affects the weakest, says general manager Arnfinn Dahl at sports club Vigrestad.

The clock just struck 9.30 pm. The sun had set in the sea off the coast of Jær.

There is still activity in the sports stadium. But it was getting darker and harder to see teammates and opponents.

– We have started the steps. Among other things, we’ve cut off artificial turf pitches that use propane gas to warm up, and matches in the background take place without spotlights, Dahl said.

Vigrestad IK isn’t the only sports team trying to save money before winter.

Had to spend 600,000 more

Gjelleråsen IF outside Oslo also operates its own facility. The tracks are heated by gas.

– Of course we want gas compensation, because until now there has been none. This is important to us, said chairman Tone Holme.

The increase in energy costs is up to NOK 600,000 per year. This will affect the children, said Holmes.

– And if we raise prices, maybe even more children and young people will drop out of school.

In recent months, electricity and energy costs have also doubled for Vigrestad IK.

Now day-to-day managers worry that these activities must be reduced even more.

– We are planning a solar cell system on the roof to make it more energy efficient. But some sports facilities are now on the verge of closing if there are no working and predictable arrangements in place, he said.

Also sports teams in Varhaug, a little further north in Jæren, put solar cells on the roof (link to radio feature) to deal with high electricity bills.

Fear of hooks in doors

Dahl at Vigrestad IK is worried that sports teams will have to incur higher membership fees if they are not compensated more.

– We can save on electricity, but then it will exceed supply. If we increase the membership fee, it will incur additional costs for families with children, he said.

He believed that something had to happen quickly enough.

– Now it’s burning. We should have 100 percent coverage above 50 øre per kilowatt. Something has to happen on the part of the government. Otherwise, it’s a hook in the door for many sports facilities.

Support for electricity, not gas

The Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) has asked the Ministry of Culture to do more to support all types of energy for sports teams. NIF will have the same type of compensation as households.

In an email to NRK, the ministry wrote that they had introduced a scheme that also applies to winter. But only district electricity and heating support was covered, said Secretary of State Gry Haugsbakken.

The decision was incomprehensible to the sports team.

– Not only our factories are powered by gas. We don’t understand the argument, says Holme at Gjelleråsen IF.