The federal government will further reduce the charges on the electricity price, said the consumer protection minister.
(Foto: Getty Images)
Berlin Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke has criticized the termination of contracts by some low-cost providers of electricity and gas as “partly completely unlawful”. “If individual electricity providers now charge more than 70 or even 90 cents for a kilowatt-hour, then I consider that to be extreme fluctuations,” said the Greens politician to the Archyde.com news agency on Saturday.
“Even if the procurement costs rise, such horrific price increases are not justified.” Lemke pointed out that the terminations and the conclusion of contracts with other consumers meant significantly higher electricity and gas prices for many households – and also pointed out possible legal steps by those concerned. “Here the consumer advice centers and, if necessary, the courts are asked to take a closer look.” The government is observing developments and examining whether there is any need for further action.
“We will not leave the citizens alone and counteract a general rise in prices,” emphasized the Green politician. The federal government will further reduce the charges on the electricity price, increase the heating cost subsidy for housing benefits and distribute the CO2-related additional heating costs fairly between tenants and landlords. Lemke pointed out that the EEG surcharge was reduced on January 1, 2022 and called on the providers to pass this reduction on to consumers.
In the course of the price explosion for electricity and gas, several providers had terminated their customers’ supply contracts. In the case of Stromio alone, consumer advocates speak of several hundred thousand households affected. According to the comparison portal Check24, around 260 basic providers have introduced new tariffs only for new customers. The prices have been increased by an average of 105.8 percent.
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