Gas levy continues to cause chaos: customers receive high bills - what to do?

Created: 10/14/2022 11:26 am

By: Andreas Hoess

The gas surcharge causes costs, although it is not introduced.

For many suppliers and consumers there is a lack of clarity.

© Political Moments /Imago Images

The gas levy is not coming.

However, some suppliers still collect them from customers - apparently because they were not able to react quickly enough to the back and forth of politics.

Munich – A huge warning window is currently popping up for gas customers on the Stadtwerke Bad Tölz website: “Important information on the abolition of the gas levy” is written there in bold letters on a yellow background.

And further: Please understand that the gas levy will be debited in October as announced, although it has been abolished.

Customers should neither stop the higher payment nor contact customer service.

A solution is already being worked on.

Increase reversed in time: "It took a lot of effort"

Although the gas levy is not coming after all, it is causing chaos, irritation, unnecessary payments and displeasure among suppliers and customers.

It was originally decided in August that gas customers would have to pay a surcharge on their bills.

The money should be redistributed to save ailing utilities.

Because there were considerable doubts about the controversial instrument, it was cleared again a few days before its introduction on October 1st.

Apparently, this happened too quickly for some suppliers: they had long since informed their customers about tariff increases caused by the surcharge, charged higher advance payments or even collected some of the money.

Large corporations were apparently still able to react relatively well to the hasty changeover.

"The surcharge has not been taken into account in the prices so far and therefore does not have to be reimbursed," says the Munich municipal utility, for example.

It is similar with Eon: the customers have been informed about a price increase because of the levy.

But this is now irrelevant.

"Due to the withdrawal of the gas procurement levy, the announced price adjustment no longer applies, and the old prices will remain unchanged for the customers affected," said a company spokesman.

And at Energie Südbayern, too, the increase was reversed in good time.

"But that involved a lot of effort," said spokeswoman Tanja Erb.

You had to make new calculations, complete test runs and send out adjusted invoices.

Gas surcharge: “Many customers no longer even know what applies.

You are completely irritated"

In the case of the many small and regional suppliers in Bavaria, however, the reversal has apparently caused major problems.

Stadtwerke Fürstenfeldbruck had also informed about price increases in mid-August in order to comply with the statutory deadlines.

"Customers can now throw the letter in the trash," says spokeswoman Monika Lidmila, who is a bit annoyed by the back and forth of German politics.

“Many customers no longer even know what applies.

They are understandably completely irritated.”

The same can also be observed at Stadtwerke Dachau, which intends to inform its customers in a letter in the next few days that they will no longer have to pay higher gas discounts after all.

"We are pleased that customers are spared this burden," says plant manager Robert Haimerl.

"What is extremely annoying, however, is the great uncertainty that has arisen among all those involved as a result of the endless discussions".

The customers of Stadtwerke Bad Tölz were hit particularly hard.

Here, the deduction for October has already been debited – including the gas levy that was prevented at the last minute.

And another change has not made it into the current statements: At the end of September, the federal government also reduced the value added tax on gas from 19 to seven percent.

Here, too, the full tax rate was already charged in Bad Tölz - as well as the smaller gas storage levy and the balancing levy, which actually come, but which some other providers such as Eon will only calculate later.

also read

Electricity price: Up to 120 percent more for existing contracts - these suppliers increase the most

Up to 3,000 euros tax-free: How employees get the extra bonus

Citizens annoyed: Stadtwerke Bad Tölz are asking for understanding and patience

"We just didn't manage to implement all the changes in the haircuts," Martina Geisberger from Stadtwerke Bad Tölz asked for understanding and patience.

Nevertheless: the telephone is no longer ringing, the mailbox is overflowing and some customers vent their anger directly on site.

"That's understandable," says Geisberger, "and that's why our small team gives everything." From the deduction for November, VAT will be reduced, and overpaid amounts will be offset against the year-end statement.

According to consumer advocates, suppliers must do the same if they have collected excessive amounts.

Customers do not have to take action themselves, but they can use the energy price calculator from the consumer advice center to check whether the gas supplier has calculated everything exactly.

And while they can look forward to the gas price brake, which will relieve end consumers from March 2023 instead of an additional burden, as the gas surcharge is supposed to do, the suppliers are preparing for further chaos in the concrete implementation.

Our free business newsletter provides you with all relevant business news on a regular basis.

Click here for registration.