According to the current heating index, heating costs rose by up to 81 percent last year. The energy industry is now warning of new price increases if politicians do not counteract this.
The next heating season is approaching – and with it consumers’ concerns about rising energy costs are growing. These fears are now being fueled by the energy industry, which is warning of new price jumps in the 2023/2024 heating season.
Prices have now stabilized and this is being appreciated by customers, said Kerstin Andreae, chairwoman of the executive board of the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW), to the dpa news agency.
However, this should not obscure the fact that there are increased risks due to geopolitical developments. “A hasty withdrawal of the relief could result in consumers being hit by new price jumps in the middle of the heating season,” said Andreae.
One year after the “double boom”
Almost exactly a year ago, on September 29, 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced a “defensive umbrella” to curb the sharp rise in energy prices – with a volume of up to 200 billion euros. On the one hand, it was about government support for energy supplies, and on the other hand, it was about curbs on energy prices. “You can say that this is a double whammy,” said Scholz at the time.
The agreed price brakes for electricity (40 cents per kilowatt hour) and gas (twelve cents per kilowatt hour) are effective for the entire year 2023. However, an extension is possible according to the law. Several members of the government, including Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), have already spoken out in favor of it.
Energy price brakes – for how much longer?
The Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers also advocates extending all price controls until Easter 2024 in order to protect private households from further price increases next winter. The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) and the trade union-affiliated Hans Böckler Foundation even advocated extending the electricity price cap until a maximum of 2030.
In fact, a look at the heating index published today shows that even the significantly warmer weather in winter and the emergency aid in December were only able to slightly mitigate the increase in heating costs last year. In 2022, an average household in an apartment building (70 square meter apartment) had to pay 1,475 euros for heating with gas – 80 percent more than in the previous year.
The heating costs for wood pellets (plus 81 percent), heat pumps (plus 50 percent) and heating oil (plus 48 percent) also increased significantly. Only district heating only rose slightly in price, increasing by five percent.
Heating mirror: Heating will be a little cheaper again in 2023
For the current year, co2online expects slightly lower heating costs because energy prices are falling again. Heating with gas should be eleven percent cheaper, and the costs for heating with wood pellets (minus 17 percent), heating oil (minus 19 percent) and heat pumps (minus 20 percent) should also fall. Customers will probably only have to pay more for district heating in 2023 (plus ten percent).
The heating mirror is published by the non-profit consulting company co2online. It has been informing consumers about potential savings in heating since 2004 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The heating mirror’s partner is the German Tenants’ Association. v.