2023-12-22 16:36:09
Fritz Pöltl (FCG-ÖAAB): “District heating is only reduced by 20 percent. And what regarding the 92 percent increase at the time?”
Vienna (OTS) – In the coming weeks, district heating customers from Wien Energie will receive the annual bill for the past winter. Any additional payments might be hefty due to the massive price increases from the previous year, despite some discounts that apply retroactively. Around a third of the district heating comes from the Spittelau, Simmeringer Haide, Flötzersteig and Pfaffenau waste incineration plants as well as the forest biomass power plant in Simmering. The remaining heat is provided by district heating plants, which are only used when needed. Imported gas is also used to produce district heating. And this gas has become exorbitantly more expensive in June 2021. Not so, of course, the heat from the city’s waste incinerators. Wien Energie has nevertheless increased district heating prices by 92 percent.
Juicy excess profits
In autumn 2023, however, the Vienna district heating company has promised a reduction in prices. And by an impressive 20 percent. Fritz Pöltl, the FCG-ÖAAB parliamentary group leader in the AK-Vienna: “And what regarding the remaining 72 percent of the previous increase?” However, they also wanted to cushion social hardship with 10 million euros in the form of energy vouchers, it was said from Vienna Energy. However, these discounts will be financed by Wien Energie’s expected annual profit. According to City Councilor Hanke, the city is waiving a dividend payment from the municipal utilities for the years 2022 and 2023. Pöltl: “Oh, how generous!”
Gas price decline ignored
The fact that gas prices have already fallen by 71 percent compared to December 2022 is being ignored by District Heating Vienna, and they are currently even working on a dubious “Christmas present” for Vienna’s district heating customers. Namely a further increase in the district heating price by around 10 percent to 20 percent. And this despite the fact that Wien Energie made “a million euros in profit every day,” as was even stated by the local council. Incidentally, the price of gas has now fallen sharply on the international markets. Since May, a kilowatt hour in Germany has cost a little less than 10 cents. This puts the price below the level in autumn 2021, when the price of gas began to rise in the run-up to the Ukraine war. Pöltl:
“The good news doesn’t seem to have reached Austria yet!”
Questions & Contact:
Group of Christian trade unionists Vienna
KR Friedrich Pöltl
FCG national managing director
Tel.: 01/5344479481
Johann Böhm 1st place
1020 Wien
1703274035
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