Will the alert level in the gas emergency plan be declared soon? Consumer advocates think this is possible. And fear the application of a special price rule that could make gas even more expensive.
Under certain circumstances, consumer advocates consider a further significant increase in gas prices for end consumers to be possible if the federal government announces the alarm level of the gas emergency plan.
The reason for this is the Energy Security Act, said the energy expert from the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv), Thomas Engelke, on Wednesday of the German Press Agency.
After the alarm level was declared and a “significant reduction in the total gas import volumes to Germany” was determined, it provides for the utilities to raise prices to an “appropriate level”. According to the law, the determination required for the application of the “right to adjust prices” is made by the Federal Network Agency. It must be published in the Federal Gazette.
The suppliers should then pass on their additional costs due to the sharp rise in procurement costs, said Engelke. There is no upper limit to this level. “Private households would then not be protected from extremely high gas prices.” The regulation would also affect customers who have a so-called price guarantee.
Further additional costs are imminent
It is unclear how large such an increase could be. A household with an average annual consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours of natural gas already has to reckon with annual additional costs of 1,000 to 2,000 euros. “If the alarm level and the determination of the reduction came now, then there could be much higher additional costs,” says Engelke, who heads the energy and construction team at the consumer center. “One must at least expect that the federal government will declare the alarm level in the foreseeable future.”
The Federal Association of Consumers called for a change to the relevant regulations in the Energy Security Act, according to which price increases then take effect just one week after notification by the supplier. This period must be four weeks, said Engelke. Until then, customers should also have the option of extraordinary termination. The law currently only provides for “immediate” termination after receipt of the notification. The prices should also be capped.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
