Dusseldorf Many electricity and gas customers have to reckon with sometimes sharp price increases at the turn of the year. According to the comparison portal Check24, around eleven million households will have to adjust to sharply rising prices for basic services from January 1st. But what can customers do about it?
In the podcast, Handelsblatt energy expert Kathrin Witsch explains why, from a consumer perspective, it does not make particularly good sense in the current situation to make immediate use of your special right of termination: “All suppliers are currently increasing their prices. Firstly, there is no guarantee that you will find a cheaper tariff and secondly, the price could also be increased significantly with the new supplier within the next six weeks.”
Consumer advocates suspect the energy suppliers of using the introduction of the electricity and gas price brake and the associated inhibition of competition from January to push through excessive price increases.
However, the laws on electricity and gas price brakes contain regulations intended to prevent abuse in pricing: “Previously, the burden of proof lay with the Cartel Office. Now the energy supplier has to prove that the tariffs are justified,” says Witsch in an interview with Anis Micijevic.
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