Energy crisis: gas price shock - should consumers now switch providers?

Created: 09/16/2022Updated: 09/16/2022 11:55 am

By: Stella Henrich

Consumer advocates have been warning of the ever-rising gas prices for a long time.

What should consumers do now?

We've put together a few tips.

Munich ‒ Many utilities are currently tightening the price screw.

Relaxation is thus a long way off.

Because gas from Russia no longer flows or only sporadically.

On average, private households now pay a good 70 percent more for gas than before.

According to the comparison

, this amounts to around 1,289 euros per year.

You ask yourself - seriously - like in the well-known pub song: "Who should pay for it, who ordered it, who has so many pink pinks, who has so much money?".

In any case, pensioner Peter Schanner from Füssen in Bavaria is desperate when he looks at his gas bill.

His supplier MITGAS wants 1,223 euros a month from the retiree from November - so far he has paid 105 euros a month for his consumption of around 20,000 kWh a year, he reports

on

The old man is not alone in his fear.

As early as July, experts warned consumers about such exploding advance payments.

The fact is that singles, couples and families are also hit hard by the gas crisis.

Gas suppliers continue to raise gas prices.

(symbol image) © picture-alliance/ dpa |

Patrick Pleul

Gas price shock: Consumers can look for better tariffs

Pensioner Schanner made use of his special right of termination and terminated his contract with his utility.

He now wants to switch to the public utility company.

But prices have also skyrocketed for municipal utilities, as a look at the statistics shows.

New customers of Stadtwerke Vilshofen, for example, now pay around 7,500 euros for 20,000 kWh per year.

Before the price adjustment, it was only 1,590 euros per year.

With other providers, the prices are not much better either.

So the options for pensioners Schanner have shrunk significantly.

Consumers should still look for better tariffs from reputable providers.

There are good exchange helpers on the internet.

Such as

.,

and

- which

retiree Peter Schanner now recommends in order to be able to somehow cushion the large additional burden on the personal household budget.

Gas price shock: help for tenants and low earners

But even switching suppliers will not help many consumers.

The traffic light coalition knows that too.

The bundled relief package with one-off payments for citizens is just a drop in the bucket.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Building Ministry therefore advises

every citizen with a low income to check whether they are entitled to a housing allowance at

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"We can only advise every citizen with a low income: Use our housing benefit calculator at www.bmwsb.bund.de to check whether you are entitled."

Spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Building

The entitlement can be easily determined on the website of the ministry and can then be applied for via the responsible housing benefit authority of the municipal administration.

There, citizens also receive comprehensive advice on any entitled benefits they may be entitled to.

Hartz I recipients are advised to contact the responsible job center.

There, too, an entitlement to a high additional payment for heating costs is checked by a customer advisor.

Gas price shock: Low earners and pensioners also receive money

Low earners - such as mini-jobbers - have the option of getting the money back for the energy flat rate via the next income tax return.

In any case, if you have not already received the 300 euro energy flat rate for a main job.

And even retirees with a small pension like Peter Schanner, who have somehow been forgotten by politicians, can be happy.

From December 1st they will also receive an energy allowance of 300 euros from the German pension insurance.

If his pension is not enough for his daily life and the demands of his new provider still do not make him financially relieved in the end, there is always the state as personal help.

The social welfare office at his place of residence is then responsible for him.

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