Additional costs, electricity, heating oil: Tenants have to reckon with these costs because of the Ukraine conflict
Created: 03/15/2022, 15:02
By: Andrea Stettner
The prices for heating oil, gas or electricity currently only know one direction – upwards.
Experts explain what costs tenants have to reckon with in the fall.
In autumn 2022, many tenants could face a rude awakening - then the utility bill* for 2021 will be due.
Inflation drove up the prices for heating oil, gas and electricity last year, and the Ukraine conflict* is now driving the price spiral further.
What costs should tenants expect?
Because of the conflict in Ukraine, prices for electricity, gas and oil are rising.
Tenants therefore face higher ancillary costs.
(Iconic image) © Daniel Karmann/dpa
Heating oil costs: 360 euros more per 1,000 liters than in the previous year
The example of heating oil
makes it clear what additional costs tenants can face
.
According to a report by
Focus Online
, a liter of heating oil cost 55 cents at the beginning of 2021, in October 2021 it was 91 cents and the price of heating oil is now over one euro.
With 1,000 liters, this amounts to an additional price of 360 euros.
"Anyone who paid 250 euros more in heating costs in autumn 2021 must expect
back payments of up to 600 euros
in 2022 ," the case study continues.
These additional costs must then be transferred to the landlord within two weeks in autumn.
Consumer experts advise those who cannot cope with this to set aside a certain sum every month.
Anyone trying to save heating oil may be able to reduce their costs for 2022.
Landlords can increase prepayments
"The landlord can increase the
sum of the monthly advance payments
if the tenant is threatened with a hefty back payment due to the increased heating costs," warns Volker Rastätter from the Munich Tenants' Association in the Focus interview.
This also increases the rent including heating, which consists of cold rent and the advance payments for ancillary costs.
Rising rents would primarily affect tenants with index leases.
That's what consumer advocates recommend
There is also a risk of high price increases for electricity and gas.
However, tenants and property owners who are informed of price increases by their provider should keep a cool head.
In an interview with the MDR, Diana Rocke from the Saxony-Anhalt consumer advice center advises that those affected
should first check comparison portals to see whether a cheaper tariff is possible for them
.
If there are still high additional demands, you should contact the supplier and
ask for payment in installments
, Rocke recommends.
In fact, by the end of 2021, many electricity suppliers kicked their customers out of their contracts.
But even in this case, a supply from the local basic suppliers, usually the municipal utility, is always guaranteed.
(as) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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