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District heating: a substantial increase, but “cheap in comparison”

2022-09-22T10:09:49.975Z


District heating: a substantial increase, but “cheap in comparison” Created: 09/22/2022, 12:00 p.m By: Elke Robert The supply bridge with the district heating pipeline from the Schongau company UPM runs directly over the Lech (in the front left in the picture). Customers have to cope with another significant price increase for the fourth quarter. © Hans-Helmut Herold The fact that district hea


District heating: a substantial increase, but “cheap in comparison”

Created: 09/22/2022, 12:00 p.m

By: Elke Robert

The supply bridge with the district heating pipeline from the Schongau company UPM runs directly over the Lech (in the front left in the picture).

Customers have to cope with another significant price increase for the fourth quarter.

© Hans-Helmut Herold

The fact that district heating prices will increase in the fourth quarter should come as no surprise to customers in Schongau.

A heating price of 130 euros/MWh net has been announced instead of 70 euros in the first three quarters.

The city council still has to approve it on Tuesday.

Schongau – As reported, this time the Stadtwerke had informed the customers in detail in advance about changes in the contracts, the calculation of the district heating price and the necessary increase in the heat price. The jump from 70 euros net per megawatt hour for the first three quarters to an expected 130 euros /MWhis almost a doubling of the price, but that's how it turned out.

Innovations explained using sample calculations

Werner Hefele, commercial director of the public utility company, and Florian Hiemer, technical director, explained the innovations to the members of the works committee using sample calculations.

With an assumed annual consumption of twelve MWh for an average Schongau household, you had to reckon with just under 1000 euros gross for the whole year.

The additional payment for the last quarter, for which a consumption of four MWh is assumed, amounts to 286 euros, which is around 29 percent of the annual prepayment already made.

Hiemer emphasized that the Stadtwerke would work without the intention of making a profit, the amount of 133.64 euros actually calculated using the formula represents the upper price limit and the heat sales price remains 3.64 euros below it.

All the surrounding district heating suppliers, on the other hand, are significantly higher in price.

Stadtwerke München, for example, had already increased to EUR 208 per MWh net for the second quarter, the adjustment for the fourth quarter is still pending.

On average, the heat price in Bavaria is always higher.

In 2021, district heating customers in Schongau still paid an annual average of 40.50 euros per MWh net, in Bavaria the average was already 83 euros/MWh at the time.

Clause is split into basic price and working price

There are changes in the contracts.

The price escalation clause should now be divided into a calculation of the basic price (e.g. costs for staff, network maintenance, depreciation) and a formula for the energy price, which summarizes the costs of heating.

The new fuel mix in the energy generation of the district heating supplier UPM has also been incorporated, and now the use of biomass in the form of energy wood is also being used.

All changes shall be publicly announced, accessible via the city's homepage.

Michael Eberle (CSU) expressed concerns as to whether this would be sufficient.

The adjustments to a price change clause should not be made unilaterally by public announcement, the current government has put a stop to it.

"Mr. Eberle represents an individual opinion that does not correspond to our legal opinion," commented Mayor Falk Sluyterman afterwards to the local newspaper.

After further consultation with representatives of the energy efficiency association AGFW, the procedure of the municipal utilities is correct and will be explained again in the city council meeting, emphasized Hiemer and Hefele on Wednesday.

Should the district heating price have been increased earlier?

Eberle also questioned whether the price for district heating shouldn't have been increased earlier, in which case the increase in the 4th quarter would have been more moderate, according to his calculations.

"We should also exhaust our leeway," he said.

He did not find a consensus for his proposal; on the contrary, Eberle was reprimanded by the other works committee members for not engaging in party politics in the discussion.

His contribution was "an attempt to embarrass the administration and not an objection that will help us with the matter," said Gregor Schuppe (ALS).

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"The high prices are due to the fact that the energy market has gotten out of joint," Sluyterman summarized, "but district heating is still cheap in Schongau." Schuppe saw it the same way.

"Every increase is bitter, but as a gas customer I would be extremely happy to be connected to the district heating." The security of supply is also completely different, he does not know whether he will still get gas in March.

Last but not least, the environmental friendliness is a plus.

The Works Committee unanimously decided to forgo income if private individuals use less than 700 full-load hours

The works committee decided to adjust the contracts and prices with one vote in each case.

It was unanimously agreed that by the end of 2023, customers with a small connection would not receive any income, namely those who do not achieve the minimum annual consumption of 700 full-load hours for hot water and heating water.

This is also an incentive to save energy.

In the spring, the information provided to citizens was not as optimal as it was this time, they were only informed late.

Where does Schongau stand in terms of energy transition, and where is there more potential?

That's what we asked

energy manager Andreas Scharli in the spring.

By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.

And in our Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.

All news and stories from Schongau can be found on our Facebook page.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-09-22

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