Electricity and gas particularly expensive in Munich – But SWM holds out the prospect of price reduction: "In planning"

The prices for gas and electricity are falling again. But energy remains expensive for many basic utilities - including Stadtwerke München. But now SWM is surprisingly holding out the prospect of price reductions.

Munich – While energy providers across Germany are finally lowering their tariffs for electricity and gas, basic suppliers are lagging behind. It is true that something is already happening here in some cities. But in Munich, where Stadtwerke München (SWM) is the basic supplier for both, prices remain very high in comparison. This is shown by data from the comparison portal Check24, which is available Merkur.de. According to this, SWM is one of the most expensive energy providers in Germany.

Stadtwerke München: Families could save over 1000 euros

Compared to the 20 largest cities in Germany, Munich performs particularly poorly. For example, the municipal utilities in the Bavarian metropolis were the third most expensive provider in the electricity comparison, and even the second most expensive in the gas comparison. With the average consumption of a family of four, Munich residents pay 704 euros more for electricity at SWM, and even 1084 euros more for gas than the cheapest local provider.

Stadtwerke München (SWM)

© Tobias Hase/dpa

However, there are numerous other providers in Munich to which consumers can switch. Here is a comparison of the providers, each for electricity and for gas. An example is a four-person household that consumes about 4250 kWh of electricity and 20,000 kWh of gas per year.

In the case of gas, SWM charges more than 1000 euros more per year compared to the four alternative suppliers. The four comparison providers take a monthly discount of 150 to 155 euros, while the SWM want to see 240 euros per month.

When it comes to electricity, it's hardly any better: SWM is more than 700 euros more expensive than the four cheapest alternatives. The monthly deduction in the basic service tariff is 160 euros, the alternative providers want to have between 101 and 103 euros per month.

SWM is also more expensive than the eco-tariffs

However, many consumers do not want to have just any energy provider, but want to spend a little more money and, in contrast, purchase biogas or electricity from renewable energies. Even compared to eco-providers, however, the basic supplier in Munich is extremely expensive:

All green tariffs for electricity are also cheaper than the electricity price brake. This is not the case with SWM. The electricity price brake caps the price of electricity at 40 cents per kWh. In the example of a four-person household, this corresponds to 1700 euros per year.

The green tariffs for gas are all more expensive than the gas price brake of 12 cents per kWh. This was not the case with providers without an eco-tariff. The gas costs of the example family would amount to around 2400 euros at the price of the price brake.

Statement by Stadtwerke München: Prices are expected to fall soon

Electricity prices had already been reduced by 10 cents in April, a SWM spokeswoman said on Monday at the request of Merkur.de. "Further price reductions for gas and electricity are being planned." However, the date for this is "not yet fixed," said the spokeswoman. Customers will be informed in good time - usually six weeks before the adjustment - accordingly, it said.

Category list image: © Tobias Hase/dpa