The discount for customers of Fernwärme Wien is fixed. As City Councilor for Finance and Economics Peter Hanke (SPÖ) explained in an interview with the APA, there is a 20 percent discount on the basic price. This should save an average household around 80 euros. Wien Energie is also working on a similar relief offer for electricity and gas consumers, as Hanke reported.
The city council recently announced that a reduction in district heating is planned. Prices have recently risen massively, and quite a few households are now paying more than twice as much. At the same time, Wien Energie posted profits. According to Hanke, an annual result in the three-digit million range is forecast for the 2022 financial year. The details of this will only be published.
As the city council explained, the stabilizing market situation in the 4th quarter contributed to the good result. Reference is made to successful trading in the electricity production of the power plants and in storage transactions. And the turbulent summer is also having an impact: Wien Energie was confronted with short-term demands for margin payments on the energy exchanges, which it might no longer meet without the help of the public sector, but at the same time the crisis also resulted in an increase in customers. According to the city, many smaller competitors disappeared from the market during this time.
The profits are to be invested in securing the supply and in the conversion of the energy system, as Hanke explained. In part, however, it is now also being used to cushion the burden of the increased prices. The district heating discount will be granted on the basic price as part of the annual statement for 2022/23. It applies to households and corporate customers, with the exception of large contracts. In total, the discount amounts to around 50 million euros.
Electricity and gas consumers will not go away empty-handed either. As the city council announced, 80 million euros will be spent on this. What the relief offer should look like – free energy days or discounts are possible – should be worked out by the summer.
In any case, a social package will start in mid-May, which will be handled by aid organizations. Caritas, the Red Cross and Volkshilfe can access electricity, gas and heat vouchers for their clients. 10 million euros are reserved for the campaign. The various measures still have to be approved by the Supervisory Board of Wien Energie.
