Potsdam offers cheaper electricity - but only for Christians

Created: 08/12/2022, 10:28 am

By: Lisa Mayerhofer

Anyone who gets electricity from the parish in Potsdam has to pay much less than normal customers.

It is particularly favorable for Catholics.

There is now resistance to this.

Potsdam - Electricity is becoming more and more expensive - but the price increases vary greatly depending on the region, provider and tariff.

For example, the Wuppertal public utilities will increase the price of electricity by around 33 percent from October 1st.

At Energieversorgung Oberhausen, the percentage increases for electricity and gas are almost the same and are between 24 and 34 percent.

Price increases for electricity: "Many municipal utilities will follow suit"

"There is a larger wave of price increases," said energy expert Udo Sieverding from the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer center to the

.

"Many municipal utilities will definitely follow suit."

The comparison portal Check24 registered 124 increases in electricity prices by default suppliers in August, September and October alone.

Around two million households are affected.

"In September, the increases averaged 47.5 percent," said a spokesman.

Stadtwerke Potsdam: Cheaper electricity for church members

Not affected by the current price explosions: Christians in Potsdam - as long as they receive electricity from their community as church members.

Because they have had their own green electricity tariffs since 2004 - this was negotiated with the Potsdamer Stadtwerke at the request of church members for an ecological alternative.

Apparently, the extra tariff under the title "Green Electricity - Exclusively for Church Members" is now paying off financially, because it doesn't seem to be so badly affected by the price increases.

As the order form shows, Protestant church members living in Potsdam pay 30.59 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity.

"Green electricity - exclusively for members of the church": Order form for Potsdam Protestants © Screenshot Stadtwerke Potsdam

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Normal customers have to shell out a lot more for green electricity from the municipal utility: 39.76 cents per kilowatt hour.

After all: The basic price of 6.92 euros per month remains the same.

Particularly curious: According to a report in the

newspaper, Catholics pay even less than Protestants - namely 26.16 cents per kilowatt hour.

An order form suggests that:

"Green electricity - exclusively for members of the church": Order form for Potsdam Catholics © Screenshot Stadtwerke Potsdam

There is now resistance to this in the form of left-wing politician Stefan Wollenberg, who sits on the supervisory board of the Potsdamer Stadtwerke.

"There shouldn't be any preference for religious beliefs in electricity and gas prices," he told

.