Image: Volker Weihbold
If you can’t pay your energy bill, you don’t have to worry about having your electricity or gas turned off next winter.
In view of the still high energy prices, domestic electricity, gas and district heating suppliers are offering financially weak households installment payments in winter and are waiving energy shutdowns due to late payments from December 1st to March 31st.
The charging of interest on installment payments by household customers will be suspended during this time, the Gas Heat and Oesterreichs Energie trade associations announced on Friday.
Own relief fund for customers
Verbund CEO Michael Strugl, who is also President of Oesterreichs Energie, referred to his own aid fund for his company’s customers, which is endowed with ten million euros.
However, people who cannot pay their electricity bills often do not ask for help, he said at a press briefing yesterday. “Report to the companies, including the social institutions,” said Strugl. Customers would also have a legal right to payment in installments.
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