Stadtwerke München remain firm: the electricity provider passes its increase of 122 percent

Created: 06/12/2022, 07:50

By: Leoni Billina, Sascha Karowski

The chase led through the south of Munich.

© Robert Haas/SZ Phozo

Customers of the Munich municipal utility will have to pay 122 percent more in the future - and they want to stick to this increase.

A shock for many citizens.

Munich - Many a customer of Stadtwerke München (SWM) will have been happy when they heard the following news: The federal government has decided that if an energy supplier wants to increase prices, it must prove to the cartel office that the reason for this is actually increased procurement costs.

And what do the Munich public utilities do?

They don't let that deter them.

That means they stick to their price increases.

You can find more current news from Munich and the region at tz.de/muenchen.

As reported, electricity prices will increase significantly.

SWM, the largest energy supplier in Munich, adds an average of 122 percent.

An average household with two people and a consumption of 2500 kilowatt hours per year pays 139.64 euros per month from January 1st.

So far it was 62.71 euros.

"The costs of purchasing energy, grid fees and surcharges have increased significantly"

When asked by our newspaper, a spokeswoman for SWM said that in the past the public utilities were only entitled to increase their prices to the extent that their own costs had risen.

In this respect, the new law only reflects current practice.

“The costs of purchasing energy, grid fees and surcharges have increased significantly.

Only these cost increases are taken into account in SWM's calculations."

Josef Schwarz should pay 700 euros more per year – "I can't afford that!"

Josef Schwarz, a customer of SWM for 35 years, is one of those affected by the increase in electricity prices.

As a two-person household, he and his wife will soon be paying a whopping 700 euros more a year.

A red line has thus been crossed for him.

So far it has been important to him to have a local provider, he says.

However: "We simply cannot afford to pay over 700 euros more per year just to remain loyal to the local electricity provider." He got smart and quickly found alternatives that would save him a lot can.

"There are reputable electricity providers, some of which are up to 60 euros cheaper than the public utility company." He will therefore change his provider.

The outrage is not only great for Josef Schwarz.

Helmut Stadtmüller from Munich is also stunned.

"I hope that the government will put a stop to this - in my opinion illegal, but at least customer-unfriendly - procedure!" However, he would find it even better if SWM made a comprehensible pricing of its own accord and revised the announced hefty surcharge, says Stadtmüller.

In concrete terms, this means that due to the war of aggression against Ukraine, wholesale prices for electricity and natural gas have risen dramatically and remain at a very high level.

“This has necessitated our price adjustments effective January 1, 2023.

SWM regrets these developments.

However, these increases are legally permissible.”

Regular, free of charge and always up-to-date: We put together all the news and stories from Munich and deliver them to you free of charge by e

.

Sign up now!