From the BZ editorial team
Finally help in the expensive crisis: The gas and electricity price brakes should take effect from March 2023, then also retrospectively for January and February. After long deliberations, the federal government finally cleared the way for the expensive brakes that will be passed in the Bundesrat on December 16th.
But even with gas and electricity price brakes, saving remains the top priority. BECAUSE: Saving more than 20 percent energy is doubly worthwhile!
With the brakes applies: For each 80 percent of consumption (providers from September), the state guarantees an electricity price of 40 cents and a gas price of 12 cents (district heating: 9.5 cents) per kilowatt hour (kWh) – no matter how strong the prices on the energy exchanges continue to rise.
CHECK24 has calculated what consumers can save with the gas and electricity price brake AND low consumption!
▶︎ A model household (family in a terraced house; gas consumption: 20,000 kWh) would have to pay 3200 euros/year at the current market price – without a gas price brake. If the model household consumes the same amount of gas in the coming year, only 2560 euros will be charged.
Saving: 640 euros.
▶︎ BUT: The savings will be significantly greater if the model household reduces its gas consumption by 20 percent in the coming year. Then only 1920 euros would be due.
A saving of 1280 euros compared to the costs without the gas price brake and additional savings efforts!
If the model household saves more than 20 percent, it benefits even more. Because the household gets the 640 euros from the gas price brake in the example in any case credited to the monthly deductions – even if the consumption should fall below the 80 percent of the previous year. The model household is reimbursed the 30 percent of the saved consumption with the end-of-year statement at the contractually agreed price from its supplier.
So he only pays 1600 euros.
Nevertheless, Steffen Suttner, Managing Director of Energy at Check24, warns: “Consumers can only achieve the maximum savings potential by switching to a cheaper tariff. Depending on the region, there are currently offers that are significantly cheaper than the local basic supply.”
And it’s also worth saving on electricity!
▶︎ A model household with a power consumption of 5000 kWh (family) would have to pay 2135 euros per year at the current market price without an electricity price brake. If the model household consumes the same amount of electricity in the coming year, only 2027 euros will be due due to the electricity price brake – savings: at least 108 euros!
BUT: If the model household saves 20 percent of its electricity consumption in the coming year, it even reduces the costs to 1600 euros – a saving of 535 euros compared to the costs without the electricity price brake and additional savings efforts.