Stadtwerke bosses in Erding and Dorfen: "Saving energy is now a civic duty"

Created: 07/01/2022, 07:00

By: Alexandra Anderka

Will the gas tap be turned off soon?

The public utilities are on alert.

© Stefan Sauer

Erding- The gas crisis is getting worse.

The municipal utility bosses in the district give an outlook of what the citizens could expect.

The gas crisis is getting worse because of the shortage of supplies from Russia.

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has declared the second alarm level of the emergency plan.

The two managing directors of Stadtwerke Erding and Dorfen, Christian Ruthner and Klaus Steiner, as well as Julia Leopold from Corporate Communications, explain what this means for the district citizens, what consequences they have to reckon with, to what extent and when energy prices could rise Energie Südbayern GmbH (ESB) in conversation with our newspaper.

The top priority is unanimously: save energy.

Christopher Ruthner, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Erding GmbH, describes this as a “civil duty” “to reduce our susceptibility to blackmail and to counteract climate change”.

For the time being, the second alarm level of the emergency plan will not have any direct impact on the citizens of the district, he reassured.

The alert level means that preparations are intensified.

The procurement price was stretched over several years, so significant price increases are currently not to be expected.

This was confirmed by Klaus Steiner, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Dorfen GmbH and Chairman of the Association of Bavarian Energy and Water Management.

Like Ruthner, however, colleague Steiner points out that "even the subsequent purchase of the smallest quantities of gas can mess up our calculations in the current market situation." Then paragraph 24 of the Energy Security Act could also come into effect and the Federal Network Agency could immediately pass on escalating amounts Release gas prices to end customers.

That's why Ruthner advises his customers: "Build reserves, not just because of rising energy prices, but also because of inflation."

copy-of-christopher-ruthner-1.jpg © Archive

If customers are unable to pay, the two Stadtwerke bosses agree that solutions will be sought.

"We have a great interest in ensuring that nobody gets into trouble as a result of the situation through no fault of their own.

Wherever possible, we will agree on installment payments," says Steiner.

Ruthner adds: "We are facing socio-political challenges that have to be solved in socio-political terms."

With regard to security of supply, Julia Leopold from Energie Südbayern GmbH gives the all-clear: “The supply is currently guaranteed.

The ultimate goal is to go into the winter with sufficiently full gas storage tanks.” In addition, there are safety mechanisms in Europe that come into play in a bottleneck situation.

“Household customers and facilities such as hospitals are given special legal protection and will continue to be supplied.” “In Dorfen, the vast majority of customers belong to the group that would be last affected by a shutdown,” said Steiner, but cautioned: “We are in an economic war and gas is used by Putin as a weapon.

It is very conceivable that Russia will provoke a situation in which gas suppliers will no longer be able to supply all of their customers.

This could happen by

Despite all the bad news, Julia Leopold from ESB advises: “Keep calm, because there is currently no gas shortage and the levels in the gas storage tanks are still rising.

Nevertheless, every kilowatt hour of gas that we can save in summer counts.” Steiner assures that Stadtwerke Dorfen “is doing a lot to improve the situation in the medium term.” hydrogen can be operated.

And: "We are working flat out to expand the natural gas-independent heating network."

Klaus Steiner, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Dorfen.

© Archive

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Stadtwerke currently has more than 150 customer inquiries about connection to the heating network.

"We will be able to make around 50 connections this year." For July 2022, Stadtwerke Dorfen plans to present a master plan for the expansion of the gas-independent heating network to the public.

But Steiner qualifies: "We are struggling with a shortage of skilled workers, material supply bottlenecks and massive cost increases." It will still take a few years for the complete implementation.

“During this time, we are dependent on gas as a bridging technology.

With the diversification of supply chains and the use of liquid gas from the USA and other countries, the energy industry and the federal government are trying to escape dependence on Russia.

With all these measures, higher CO2 emissions are consciously accepted, which is why Steiner is of the opinion: "There is no way around a rapid and comprehensive expansion of regenerative energy production".