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Sunday, December 13, 2020
Analysis reveals the price gap
Excessive electricity prices – act now!
A nationwide analysis now shows that the actual costs for electricity providers do not match the vastly increased prices for consumers. Read here how business is doing with electricity prices and why customers don’t have to put up with it.
For years there has been a very consistent picture of electricity prices: it is getting more and more expensive. Providers have numerous reasons why this is unavoidable. Sometimes network costs increase, often acquisition costs, and the blame for the increases is regularly attributed to the EEG surcharge. But does this really explain the significant price increases that electricity providers have imposed on their customers in the last two years?
An analysis carried out at the national level for the first time shows that massive increases in prices for consumers do not correspond with the evolution of the real costs of electricity. While consumers had to endure massive increases in the price of electricity for two years in a row, analysis by rate watcher SwitchUp.de reveals that real costs for electricity providers have increased by an average of just 6 euros since 2018 .
Electricity providers optimize their margins at the expense of customers
Standard vendor rate customers have experienced significant price increases in the last two years. While a household with a consumption of 3,500 kWh paid an average of 1,071 euros for electricity in 2018, the amount of the bill rose to 1,175 euros in 2020 with the same consumption, a difference of 103 euros. And this despite the fact that for electricity providers the main cost blocks (1) taxes, levies and levies, (2) network rates and (3) acquisition costs have changed in a total of only 6 euros in the same period. This leaves a difference of 97 euros, which cannot be explained on the basis of the evolution of real costs. Udo Sieverding, energy expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer center, criticizes: “Although the EEG surcharge and acquisition costs are decreasing, most energy providers do not pass on these benefits, but instead go to a dive station “.
Even abrupt purchase prices are not an argument
There is also no relief in sight for consumers’ wallets in 2021. On the contrary, most providers proudly announce that they will keep prices stable, some even increase them. In times of home office with higher power consumption, this is definitely not good news. In their prices, suppliers still refer to the evolution of purchase prices, although the annual average until the end of November is below 4 cents / kWh. As Switchup has determined in a scenario calculation, there would still be a difference between the price increases and the cost increases of 55 euros even in the case of an increase in acquisition prices to 5 cents / kWh, a value that was achieved last in 2011 on average. In other words, even if acquisition costs move to this unlikely level, consumer price cuts would be overdue.
Request expired price reductions
Despite the mostly significantly overpriced prices, 26 percent of households are still at the basic utility rate. With their continued passive behavior, those households are inviting utilities to continue increasing their margin at the expense of their customers. Therefore, the consumer advice center advises to act now and change providers. The good news: In the basic utility rate, there is always a notice period of only 2 weeks, so you can terminate your contract quickly. According to Check24, the savings potential with a change in the basic supply rate and a consumption of 5000 kWh is 312 euros.
If you no longer want to move into the higher end of the price gap, you need to disconnect now. You can do it yourself through the classic comparison portals or fully automatically with one of the different rate monitors on the market. Stiftung Warentest recommends the latter to all consumers who don’t feel like worrying about their rates, as they not only guarantee a one-time change of provider, but also automatically optimize the rate year after year. Regardless of whether you change the rate yourself or hand the task over to a rate supervisor: Only by making use of the option to switch providers will providers no longer get away with optimizing their margin at the expense of their most loyal customers.
