Expert tip: Gas and electricity customers should now take this into account

Created: 11/11/2022 12:41 p.m

By: Stella Henrich

The topic of “rising energy costs” continues to set the tone for consumers.

The federal government has now launched emergency aid for December to relieve the burden on citizens.

An expert explains what that means for customers in concrete terms.

Munich ‒ Hermann-Josef Tenhagen has a busy schedule.

The editor-in-chief of Finanztip is a sought-after man.

The business editor is busy around the clock with questions from consumers about skyrocketing energy costs.

He is always competent to answer questions on YouTube, Instagram, his own podcast or even during an evening TV talk show.

So now in an interview with the television station n-tv.

Because the concerns are enormous among the customers of gas and electricity.

The

is a done deal.

But the consumers obviously have to take care of detailed answers themselves.

As in the case of the question on the advance payment for December for gas customers: do gas customers have to pay in advance in December?

Clear answer from the expert: "It is planned that you will not have to pay this amount," says Tenhagen.

That means the gas supplier just won't collect the December markdown.

In the case of a direct debit, this means "the provider simply does not collect any money from the customer".

That applies to all gas customers, explains the expert.

Those customers who make their transfers themselves, on the other hand, do not need to transfer a deduction to their gas supplier for the month of December.

For customers who have only recently changed their provider because they now have to pay a lower discount than with their old provider, the gas consumption used as a basis for the conclusion of the contract with the new provider applies.

This means that the reimbursement comes from the new gas supplier.

The agreed discount applies.

Expert tip for immediate help in December: Landlords must pass on the money with the utility bill

Most of the time, the tenants pay their down payment for gas to the landlord via their ancillary cost statement.

In this case, what applies to consumers?

Tenhagen has advice here too: "It is planned that in this case the landlord will first receive the money.

Because now the landlord is the customer of the gas supplier.

The landlord then has to pass the money on to the tenants.”

This means that the tenant should get the money back with the utility bill in 2023 for 2022.

Because the tenant already paid his share of the gas consumption with the additional costs in December 2022.

Of course, every tenant also has the opportunity to speak to their landlord about whether they should reduce the additional costs for December by 20, 30 or 50 euros.

However, the tenant is not entitled to this regulation.

Expert tip: Is it worth switching to a heat pump?

In principle, the owner or landlord can also decide for himself whether to switch from a gas heating system to an alternative heating system for the house.

But is it worth switching to a heat pump, for example?

The expert's tip: "I would always advise him to switch to a heat pump as well, if that goes well.

Because energy prices will remain high," says Hermann-Josef Tenhagen on n-tv.

also read

One-time payment, gas and electricity price brake: the relief at a glance

Rewe customer reads a note and then does not touch the bread he has bought - "I'm angry and hungry"

A climate-friendly heat pump system in the boiler room.

(Iconic image) © Rainer Weisflog/imago

Such a pump is especially interesting in those houses where there is a lot of heating space.

However, only an energy consultant and heating installer can assess whether investing in a heat pump is actually a suitable alternative for a specific system.

The federal government is promoting renewable technologies such as heat pumps and energy-related building subsidies with 13 to 14 billion euros in the coming years.

The Federal Association for Heat Pumps explains exactly how this works in an explanatory video on YouTube.

Expert tip for electricity customers: Before switching suppliers, consumers should always compare prices on the market

Assuming that the electricity supplier has announced a significant increase in the price of electricity for November 1, what options does the consumer have to opt out of such a contract?

Hermann-Josef Tenhagen also has a clear answer to this: Consumers who receive an increase “always have a special right of termination”.

But hasty action is not appropriate here.

In the meantime, more and more suppliers are increasing their electricity prices.

Therefore, customers should first compare the prices on the market and "possibly talk to the local basic supplier," says the expert.

Because the basic supplier often offers the cheapest electricity offer.

At first glance, switching to a competitor abroad also appears to be an attractive solution for some consumers.

But be careful: the supposedly cheaper electricity can suddenly become quite expensive in the end.

Mercedes-AMG One: Hypercar brings F1 technology to the road

View photo gallery

In addition to the

, the traffic light coalition is also planning a gas and electricity price brake for consumers in Germany.

explains exactly how these reliefs work for citizens.

Stay up to date on consumer information and product recalls with our brand new consumer newsletter.