An end to the skyrocketing electricity prices? Consumer advocates intervene
The energy prices for electricity and gas currently only know one direction: Things are going up steeply, the final bills for 2021 are likely to be juicy. The consumer protection is now at a utility company against the price explosion.
Autumn has long since arrived in Germany and winter is also approaching. High prices for electricity and gas, but also for heating oil consumers, are particularly inconvenient. But exactly in this year the prices rise to extreme heights.
Among other things, the high raw material prices are to blame. As a result, many consumers receive information on new prices, and the increases are expensive for some. However, as an example from Cologne shows, energy providers can don’t do what they want with the price.
Consumer center intervenes: Cologne energy supplier reprimanded
The consumer advice center North Rhine-Westphalia accuses the local supply company of “evergreen” of having increased prices in an unacceptable manner. A good sign for consumers in general, and especially for evergreen customers. The electricity and gas provider have that Price increase “completely non-transparent and inadequately communicated”, so the accusation (source: Consumer advice center NRW).
But that’s not all: while prices rose with some customers, others did the delivery stopped for a short time. From the point of view of consumer advocates, this tops it all off, says Wolfgang Schuldzinski, board member of the NRW consumer organization. This is not an isolated case, we already know similar cases.
With the warning of Immergrün by the consumer center, one wants to send a signal “to all electricity and gas suppliers, theirs Contractual commitments to consumers: continue to be fair and reliable to keep ”. Price increases should not be enforced without adequate communication.
That is a no to the process of evergreen and a damper for the customers: The consumer advice center gives no rejection for price increases.
Electricity and gas supply secured: Consumers can breathe a sigh of relief
Affected customers need each other, according to the consumer advice center do not worry about it. On the one hand, they have a special right of termination in the event of price increases. One of the points of criticism is that Immergrün did not provide sufficient information about this.
High electricity and gas prices are a reason for smart home applications, because they can be used to make targeted savings. in the Video learn more about the products from Ikea:
Consumers are also protected against the supply failure. If, for example, an electricity or gas provider goes bankrupt, the local basic supplier takes over the delivery. Nobody needs to fear failure. Nevertheless, the consumer advocates recommend switching to cheaper tariffs. In the current market environment, however, this can also be the normally more expensive basic supplier.
