Consumers: there is a risk of further surcharges

One kilowatt hour of electricity currently pays more than ever before in Germany.

Many see the federal government as responsible.

Berlin - In Germany, citizens have to be prepared for rising electricity prices.

Compared to the beginning of the year, the prices for wholesalers have already doubled, says the head of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW).

If electricity had to be purchased at short notice, the prices would even be three times higher than the original price.

The increased purchase price will also show itself to the end consumer.

The procurement costs that energy suppliers have to pay for electricity have risen significantly in recent months

Head of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW), Kerstin Andreae

Not only the electricity price itself became more expensive this year.

The price for CO2 certificates also rose.

It has doubled over the past 24 months.

The price for electricity from gas-fired power plants had also increased due to the increased gas price.

Electricity prices in Germany: higher than ever

The electricity price rose by 6.6 percent in the last 12 months, reports the online comparison portal Verivox.

The price for electricity has currently reached an unprecedented high of 30.54 cents per kilowatt hour.

The Check24 portal informs that eight basic suppliers have already increased their electricity prices or announced increases.

These increases averaged 3.7 percent, according to Check24.

A household that consumes 5000 kilowatt hours would therefore have to reckon with additional costs of 63 euros per year.

Price for electricity: It is not only the more expensive generation that is decisive

The industry association BDEW did not blame the increased prices for generation for the high electricity price.

"For every 100 euros in electricity bills, more than 50 euros are state-caused," said Andreae.

The burden on electricity customers would have increased by around 70 percent between 2010 and 2020 due to taxes, levies and charges, according to the boss.

She also stated that this burden would not only affect end customers, but would also weaken Germany as a business location.

The deputy chief executive of the Federal Association of German Industry, Holger Lösch, also rated the current high electricity price as harmful to industry.

After the federal election in 2021, the newly formed federal government will have to tackle the high electricity prices as one of its first tasks, explains Lösch.

Survey on the price of electricity: A third would go back to nuclear power if electricity became cheaper

A survey by the market research institute Innofact found that around three quarters of Germans would like to see stricter measures against the increase.

The representative study carried out on behalf of Verivox also came to the result that one in three (31 percent) would continue to obtain electricity from nuclear power.

Most basic providers change their prices at the turn of the year.

We therefore assume that more electricity providers will increase their prices in the coming months.

Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox

According to the study, 70 percent of Germans would not expect an end to the increased levies and taxes on electricity.

Market observers had already announced that price increases could continue.

The energy expert Storck stated that at the turn of the year price increases from some providers were to be expected.

How many providers can be expected to increase cannot yet be foreseen.

Price for electricity: kilowatt hour could be 1.5 cents more expensive

Philipp Litz told the AFP news agency that he thought an increase in the price of electricity for private households was likely.

According to the expert, an increase of around 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour would be conceivable.

According to Litz, the increase would be around twice as high without renewable energies.

He justified his assumptions with the increased stock exchange prices for electricity.

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While the EEG surcharge has repeatedly been a price driver in the electricity price in recent years, this should not be the case in the coming year.

The surcharge, with which green electricity systems are subsidized, is to be stabilized by the federal government in 2021 and 2022.

To date, 8.1 billion euros from the budget have been used for this in 2021.

In the current year, the surcharge could be limited to 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour.

In the coming year this should even drop to 6 cents.

In their election manifestos, all major parties promised to abolish or reduce the EEG surcharge * before the federal election in 2021.

Electricity price in Germany: if it rises on the stock exchange, the EEG surcharge falls

The increased electricity price on the exchange could make the EEG fund cheaper for the federal government.

"With rising electricity prices on the exchange, the wind and solar plant operators achieve higher income, which leads to a falling EEG levy," said Agora expert Litz, explaining the mechanism.

Litz emphasized that the best way to counter rising electricity prices is to rapidly expand renewable energies.

A new federal government would have to triple the expansion rates for wind power and photovoltaics in the first 100 days.

"This is central to achieving the climate targets and helps to lower the electricity price." (Lucas Maier with AFP) * fr.de is part of IPPEN.MEDIA