Price and inflation driver district heating | Group of Christian Trade Unionists Vienna, September 6th, 2023

2023-09-06 10:42:20

Fritz Pöltl (FCG-ÖAAB): “Wien Energie is 100 percent owned by the city and therefore also by its citizens!”

Vienna (OTS) – No sooner has the committee of inquiry into the billion-euro deal from Wiener Energie – due to the lack of information from the SPÖ and NEOS – ended without a result than the next criticism of the energy multinational is loud. Background: The prices for natural gas have relaxed completely on the world market and are around the level of October 2021, i.e. before Russia invaded Ukraine, but Wien Energie is keeping prices high. As a reminder: Wien Energie increased the district heating price by around 130 percent in 2022.

market prices

“The lower gas prices on the world market should actually also affect those of district heating customers,” says Fritz Pöltl, FCG-ÖAAB parliamentary group leader in the Vienna Chamber of Labor. After all, district heating is largely produced with natural gas. However, Wien Energie customers still have to pay a comparatively large amount of money, criticizes Josef Baumgartner from the Vienna Institute for Economic Research (WIFO).

Excuse

Because the gas will be procured in the long term, the more expensive prices from the previous year would still apply, according to Wien Energie. Specifically, they want to retrospectively reduce the price reduction for district heating by 20 percent. Fritz Pöltl: “The price reduction is far too small compared to the price reductions on the world market. Because Wien Energie has a monopoly for district heating in the federal capital, customers cannot switch providers, as is the case with gas and electricity, for example. And Wien Energie is shamelessly exploiting this circumstance!”

control

In addition, according to Pöltl, there is also the fact that the inspection of Wien Energie – including the district heating – is the responsibility of the municipality of Vienna itself as the owner: “And that closes the circle to the inconclusive committee of inquiry. The mayor of Vienna apparently doesn’t care that the Viennese will soon only have to pay 110 percent too much instead of 130 percent.”

Josef Baumgartner, inflation analyst at WIFO, therefore not only calls for more transparent prices, but also for more effective control of Wien Energie. Fritz Pöltl fully supports this demand: “We no longer want to be exploited and cheated by Wien Energie just to further increase their profits. Wien Energie is 100 percent owned by the city and therefore also by its citizens!”

Questions & contact:

Group of Christian trade unionists in Vienna
KR Friedrich Pöltl
FCG Country Manager
Tel.: [phone]
Johann Boehm 1st place
1020 Wien

1693997079
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