Energy prices are rising again. The trigger is the war in the Middle East, which is affecting important gas deliveries from Qatar. Energy expert John the Benigni referred in Ö1 morning journal for possible long-term consequences.
This raises numerous questions for Austrian households: How much impact are higher energy prices already having on their own bills – and what’s next? Who is particularly affected? And is it even worth changing providers now? The COURIER asked.
“The increased wholesale prices are already being reflected in end customer tariffs,” says energy expert Martin Zwickl from the comparison portal perspective.
For gas, labor prices have been around since February 35 percent increased – from 3.85 to 5.20 cents per kilowatt hour. When it comes to electricity, the increase is around 15 percentfrom 9.10 to 10.50 cents.
Based on the entire annual financial statement, this means an increase of around 17 percent for gas and 8 percent for electricity.
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Why energy prices are rising
The causes of the price increase can be found on: international energy market locate. After attacks on facilities in Train Important quantities of gas are missing, and at the same time the situation in the Middle East remains tense. This creates uncertainty – and drives up prices.
This is already evident in the markets: Oil and gas have recently increased significantly. On Friday morning the price for North Sea oil (Brent) was around 110 US-Dollar pro Barrelafter being close at times the day before 120 Dollar had risen.
Gas also became significantly more expensive: the European reference price has now risen by more than a quarter to.
The fact that the price increase on the bill is lower than the pure energy price is also due to this Network fees and Dues make up a significant portion of the costs and Cushion price fluctuations. However, experience shows that this gap narrows over time if the increased wholesale level remains.
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Who is particularly affected by this?
Not all households feel the price increases equally.
“The hardest hit are households with so-called Floater rateswhich are automatically linked to the wholesale price,” explains Zwickl.
Even customers who already have their provider not changed in a while have and no price guarantee have more are directly affected.
Who, on the other hand, has one Fixed price is protected for the time being and continues to pay the agreed price.
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Is it still worth changing providers?
Switching providers can still be worthwhile despite rising prices.
“Even now there are still significant differences between the providers,” says Zwickl.
Compared to the standard tariffs of the state suppliers, around 105 euros for electricity and 131 euros for gas save per year. Households in particular that have not changed their provider for years often pay significantly more than necessary.
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What needs to be taken into account when changing
Anyone who changes should currently choose one Fixed price set.
“Whoever gets one now Price guarantee “Secures yourself, protects yourself from further climbs,” says Zwickl.
The background: Wholesale prices are currently still above the level reached by households. With variable tariffs, there is therefore a risk that prices will continue to rise in the coming weeks.
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What consumers should do now
“Many households are already paying significantly more than necessary without knowing it,” says Zwickl. Especially in phases of rising prices early change a big difference.
A common error On the other hand, we should wait and see: “Many people hope that prices will fall and are losing money month after month.”