E-Werk Tegernsee boss in an interview: "It is no pleasure to block the electricity"

Created: 12/15/2022, 6:00 p.m

By: Bettina Stuhlweißenburg

Against the background of the energy crisis, the boss of the E-Werk Tegernsee, Manfred Pfeiler, prepares for insolvent customers.

© THOMAS PLETTENBERG

The government is trying to mitigate the consequences of the energy price explosion with several relief packages.

Our “Readers help readers 2022” fundraising campaign has the same goal.

Against this background, we spoke to E-Werk Tegernsee boss Manfred Pfeiler about customers in payment difficulties.

District – The government is trying to mitigate the consequences of the energy price explosion with several relief packages.

Nevertheless, there will be further price increases in 2023, which can put low earners in particular in need.

How the E-Werk Tegernsee and the Tegernseer natural gas supply company deal with insolvent customers is explained by the managing director of the two companies, Manfred Pfeiler (59).

Keeping the number of people affected as low as possible is one of the goals of our “Readers help readers” fundraiser.

Mr Pfeiler, many consumers are concerned about utility bills.

How are your customers?

We supply five communities in the Tegernsee Valley with electricity and four communities with gas.

Most of our customers have not yet been really affected by the energy crisis this year.

Because apart from the basic and replacement supply, unlike many other providers, we did not increase our prices in 2022.

Electricity customers even get a reduction because the EEG surcharge ceased to apply on July 1 and we credit them with it.

Value added tax on gas was reduced from 19 percent to seven from October 1, and this applies retrospectively for the entire year.

That's why the majority of our gas customers are getting something for 2022.

The abolition of the EEG surcharge and the reduction in the tax on gas are part of the government's relief package to mitigate the price increases a little.

What can your customers expect in 2023?

A moderate price increase is planned from January.

Electricity customers with a collective agreement have to pay 22 percent more.

But you will still pay significantly less than 40 cents per kilowatt hour.

So we are below the future electricity price cap.

However, gas in the basic supply has increased in price by 31.85 percent.

Do you call price increases of 22 percent and 32 percent moderate?

You have to see where we come from.

Other providers hide it well, they are talking about an increase of 9.8 percent, but have already asked for significantly higher prices.

We, on the other hand, are at 13.44 cents by the end of the year.

Stadtwerke München has previously charged 8.59 cents and is now increasing it to 21.09 cents.

That's a price increase of 145 percent.

Our fundraiser "Readers help readers" provides an overview of the most important information

Beneficiaries:

 Three organizations benefit from the “Readers Help Readers” campaign.

In cooperation with the “Holzkirchen hilft” association, we support low-income earners from the entire district who are in need because of the high energy and living costs.

A smaller part of the proceeds will also support the construction of an inclusion playground for children with and without disabilities in Miesbach and the visiting service of the Holzkirchen neighborhood aid.

Donation account 13 300: 

Donations can be paid into account 13 300 at the Kreissparkasse Miesbach-Tegernsee (BLZ 711 525 70), IBAN DE04 7115 2570 0000 0133 00 - personally or by bank transfer.

Donation receipts: 

The copy of the transfer is recognized by the tax office as a donation receipt up to an amount of 300 euros.

For donations over 300 euros, the district office issues the donation receipts.

Donors are asked to provide their full address.

Apart from the basic supply, you no longer publish the electricity tariffs on your homepage.

Why?

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Because we are currently unable to offer any electricity tariffs outside of the basic supply due to the sharp rise in procurement prices.

It's like a lifeboat that currently has no room.

If we were to offer the tariffs to other customers, we would be in trouble.

Do you expect that some of your customers will now have payment difficulties?

That can happen in the area of ​​basic services.

But you have to see: Who ends up in basic care?

Those who have been terminated by another provider.

Or who have received a drastic price increase and are now knocking on our door.

However, the majority of our customers are not in the basic service, but in a collective agreement.

How many are in primary care?

We have 1800 electricity customers and 2000 gas customers in total.

Less than ten percent are in basic care.

How do you deal with payment difficulties?

We will seek talks with those affected and, depending on the situation, agree on payment in installments.

We also refer to the offer of debt counseling.

For those in need, we have deposited a fund of 10,000 euros with the neighborhood aid Tegernseer Tal.

A kind of rescue parachute.

Those affected can contact the neighborhood help service, which will then check whether they are entitled.

This fund has existed for electricity customers for a long time.

Now we are also thinking about a gas rescue parachute.

Is this a particularly cheap loan?

No, those affected do not have to pay back the money.

It is debt relief.

As a society, we naturally want to make a profit, but we also assume social responsibility.

The government's relief packages work according to the watering can principle.

No one looked at who needed it and who didn't.

For example, the well-to-do also benefit from the reduction in VAT.

The funds, on the other hand, are aimed explicitly at those in need.

When do you turn off someone's electricity or gas?

We don't like to block.

This is really the last step we take when all other avenues of understanding have been exhausted.

Before that, we send three reminder letters.

Then we announce the lockdown.

The customer must then report within a period of eight days.

We only block if he doesn't get in touch and hasn't tried to pay his bill by any other means.

Believe me: I personally sign all bans, and that's no fun!

You can find out more about our “Readers help readers 2022” fundraiser here.