Craft President Peteranderl: "Electricity sets a price spiral in motion"

Created: 2022-01-14Updated: 2022-01-14, 5:12 p.m

By: Corinna Maier

Munich – prospective homeowners have a hard time: craftsmen are scarce and the prices for building are high – and the trend is rising.

The President of the Bavarian Chamber of Crafts, Franz Xaver Peteranderl, expects that the climate requirements for buildings could trigger a further price hike.

The city of Munich makes a comparatively small contribution to the rise in prices, but it is nonetheless annoying for medium-sized companies.

There, the parking fees for handicraft vehicles are to increase by around 500 percent.

According to Peteranderl, companies from the surrounding area would avoid the Munich city area.

Building is becoming more and more expensive, and the statistics office has just reported the biggest price hike in 50 years.

What makes building so

We have had a massive supply chain disruption since last summer.

This means that certain materials such as wood or insulating materials are scarce or have quotas.

In addition, there are the CO2 requirements, which are now fully reflected in the prices for steel and cement.

Are there areas where material is no longer available?

No, it's not that far yet.

But the delivery times for some basic products are already three or even four months.

This applies in particular to the areas of plumbing, heating and electronics.

With copper cables, for example, there are delivery times that are actually no longer bearable.

That never happened before.

Franz Xaver Peteranderl, President of the Chamber of Crafts © Michael Schuhmann

How do craftsmen deal with it?

After all, they have to calculate the prices for their customers.

It's really difficult at the moment.

I know many companies that make calculations, but immediately explain that the offer is only valid for a certain period of time, i.e. as long as their own suppliers can guarantee the price of the material.

After that, the price is variable.

So if the builder takes too long, it can be that things get more expensive.

What role do government regulations play in price development?

A big one, and it could grow further if what is currently being discussed comes into force.

You mean climate protection in buildings?

Yes.

By 2030 there should be no more oil or gas heating, but only heating with renewable energies.

According to the EU, the building stock should be completely CO2-neutral by 2050.

On the one hand, these are huge investments, on the other hand, you have to ask yourself who is going to do all this?

Is the energy transition failing due to a lack of staff?

The craft is very efficient and can accomplish a lot - but we have to have clear guidelines for this.

Aren't the requirements clear?

No, not so far.

There are years until we can no longer install heating systems with fossil fuels.

But no one can tell you whether the power grid is sufficient if all households in a new development area are installing heat pumps.

Have you forgotten to speak to people from the practice?

It is obvious that there are no realistic specifications in many areas.

And the schedule is tight.

Especially when you consider how lengthy the approval process can be in our country.

Politically, people have continued to outdo each other when it comes to when to meet the 1.5-degree climate target.

It seems that they have never been realistically thought through or that no one has asked: is this even feasible in practice?

Do you have doubts?

At the end of this year we will shut down the last two nuclear power plants in Germany.

The north and south link power lines will not be ready until 2025 at the earliest.

Makes a power gap of three years.

If there is also a demand to promote electromobility to a specified extent and no longer allow fossil fuels, then everything goes to the electricity market.

At some point, electricity will also be scarce in industry.

Companies are already reluctant to make larger investments because they don't know how energy costs will continue.

Large energy consumers therefore prefer to invest abroad.

Private households are also currently suffering from the sharp rise in energy prices.

They can't escape

.

Our craft businesses are also suffering.

And medium-sized companies in particular, such as bakeries or industrial suppliers, who also consume a lot of electricity, cannot avoid it either.

They have to pass on the price of electricity to their products.

And that further contributes to the general price surge.

I agree.

A price spiral is set in motion, which the lower income earners will definitely feel.

Speaking of price hikes: the city of Munich has just decided to significantly increase parking fees for tradespeople.

How do you find that?

What annoys me even more than the increase itself is the fact that we actually had a promise from the mobility department that we would be spoken to in advance.

But that didn't happen and I only found out about the decision from the media.

And the increase is not without.

No, not at all.

In the future, companies will have to pay a surcharge of up to 500 percent for the parking spaces that they need as commercial residents for their vehicles in customer service.

I can't understand why they should now pay 720 instead of 265 euros per vehicle for their "normal" tradesmen's parking permits.

These and other decisions by the city leaders are making it increasingly difficult for our businesses to go about their business.

I consider this policy to be irresponsible and anti-business.

Many craftsmen are currently able to choose orders.

Will many avoid Munich in the future?

This is already happening, and not infrequently.

Companies from the Oberland and the communities around Munich tell themselves that my area of ​​work ends before the Munich city area.

It's not just about parking costs, but also the travel time, which is becoming increasingly unpredictable, also because there are fewer and fewer parking spaces in the city.

How could the problems be solved?

There are 8000 residents in the old town area and there are also 8000 parking spaces.

Many of the residents also have a parking space in an underground car park that belongs to the apartment.

Such drivers should not also be given a resident parking permit.

In addition, residents' vehicles are hardly moved during the week.

At most on Friday, when a bulk purchase is made, or at the weekend for an excursion.

The rest of the time the car is only parked because it is easier to get around the city by public transport and by bike.

What should be different?

Resident vehicles should be parked in underground garages if possible.

The areas in public space that are freed up could be designated for cycle paths, delivery traffic, craftsmen or people with restricted mobility.

New underground car parks should be planned in such a way that delivery vehicles can also park.

That is not the case to this day.

For example in the new underground car park on Thomas-Wimmer-Ring.

The access height is 2.20 meters.

You can't get in there with a normal van.

If that were different, craftsmen for the entire area up to Maximilianstraße could first deliver their material to the construction site or to the customer and then park in the underground car park.

Do craftsmen still feel welcome in Munich?

At the moment you can get the feeling that you are no longer welcome as a company within the Mittlerer Ring.

There is a lack of understanding of how important commercial traffic is for the city of Munich.

After all, branches have to be supplied, bakeries, butcher shops, often even several times a day.

The delivery truck must be able to drive close enough so that the cold chain is not interrupted, for example.

Something like this must continue to be possible in order to carry out orders, deliver and ensure the supply of the population.

Interview: Corinna Maier