"Many clubs will have to nibble on it" - BFV sees the energy crisis with great concern
Created: 07/15/2022, 19:11
By: Thomas Schmidtutz
Amateurs training under floodlights: Due to the drastic increase in energy prices, many football clubs are also threatened with hefty tariff increases.
(Archive photo) © Imago
The sharply rising prices for electricity and gas should also become a problem for amateur sports clubs.
The Bavarian Football Association is hoping for support from the state government.
Munich – The Bavarian Football Association (BFV) sees the drastic increase in energy costs with great concern.
The situation is currently still calm in many clubs due to the summer season.
"But if the back payments for electricity and gas start to come in after the turn of the year, there could be a rude awakening for many clubs.
A lot of clubs will have to nibble on it, ”said BFV spokesman Frühwirth on Friday to
Merkur.de
.
There are around 4,500 football clubs and departments in the Free State.
Two thirds of them have floodlights and rely on lighting for training in the cold season.
Recently, however, electricity prices have risen drastically.
A megawatt hour of electricity cost 218 euros on the Leipzig electricity exchange in June.
That was almost 200 percent more than a year ago.
Energy crisis: Big price increases across the board
In the first half of the year alone, around 1,300 suppliers increased their tariffs nationwide, by an average of a quarter.
Another 300 municipal utilities and other energy providers want to follow suit in the summer.
Added to this are the galloping gas prices.
Clubs that rely on gas for their changing rooms and showers are therefore also faced with further price increases for gas tariffs.
It could get really expensive by the turn of the year at the latest.
Municipal utilities usually buy electricity or gas from industry giants such as E.On, RWE or Uniper one to two years in advance.
When the contracts expire, the utilities adjust their tariffs.
Then juicy surcharges threaten.
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Energy crisis: Volleyball and basketball clubs also face significantly increasing advance payments
The risk of rising operating costs has long since not only affected football clubs.
For sports such as volleyball or basketball, there are also heating costs for the sometimes huge sports and multi-purpose halls.
There are municipalities that help their clubs with the operating costs for floodlights or heating and buildings.
But most clubs have to bear at least part of the costs for electricity, gas and water themselves.
In view of this starting position, the BFV, together with the Bavarian State Sports Association (BLSV), is now pushing for political support.
Help with energy costs such as grants or full reimbursement by the municipalities, the Free State or the federal government is conceivable, said BFV spokesman Frühwirth.
In addition, tax breaks would also help, for example with the sales tax for the stadium bratwurst.
Energy crisis: sports associations hope for politics
One is already in contact with Interior and Sports Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), said the association spokesman.
But nobody has to worry about the game, he assured.
Apart from big cities like Munich, where the game day sometimes starts on Friday evening, the league games on Saturdays and Sundays are usually played during the course of the day.
This can also be done without floodlights.
(utz)
