The war in Ukraine and the associated shortage of oil continue to cause prices at the gas pumps in the district to rise rapidly. A liter of petrol cost 2.28 euros on Tuesday afternoon in downtown Wolfratshausen, while a liter of diesel cost 2.33 euros, and elsewhere in the district even more than 2.40 euros. According to ADAC, since the outbreak of war on February 24 alone, the prices for Super and Diesel have risen by 25 and 38 percent respectively in Germany. The growing costs are not only harder to bear for private individuals, but also for companies.
One industry that is particularly affected by this is outpatient care services. One of them is the Wagner nursing center based in Geretsried. Their managing director Stefan Schleicher calls the skyrocketing fuel prices “nearly a catastrophe” for his company. After all, even before the recent increase in prices, the expenses for fuel were only covered to an average of one-third by the flat-rate travel expenses, he explains. With 240 operations a week, the company now has to reckon with a loss of 100 euros a day, says Schleicher. For the care companies, which are already in an exceptional financial situation due to the corona-related problems such as a lack of staff and loss of income, this price development for fuel could mean the “droplet that makes the camel overflow”. The main problem is that the budgets and flat rates available are not being increased, while at the same time fuel prices are literally going through the roof.
Barbara Urban from the Caritas outpatient nursing service in the district sees it that way too. The situation there is not as critical as in other companies, she says. But Caritas also had to calculate with a higher deficit in Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen. Negotiations about higher tariffs and flat rates are probably only planned for the coming year.
One industry that is particularly suffering from the high fuel prices are the local taxi companies. For example, the Geretsried taxi company Kottysch currently pays the additional costs from its own funds, as managing director Jürgen Kottysch reports. Kottysch says that the taxi companies had already submitted an application to the district office for an increase in the mileage allowance before the war broke out. This is currently still at 1.90 euros. Until the district authority makes a decision, the drivers will try to save fuel as best they can. Among other things, empty runs should be avoided as far as possible, says Kottysch. If the application is accepted and the flat rate is increased by the district office, taxi customers would have to be prepared for higher prices.
The bus companies are also drawing consequences from the increased fuel prices. For example, Martin Matheis, owner of “Isartal-Reisen”, reports that he will probably have to renegotiate the prices for bus trips with his customers if diesel costs continue to be high. In the medium term, however, the company will still bear the additional costs for trips that have already been booked.
The hopes of the companies now lie in politics, from which they expect support and financial relief. Stefan Schleicher from the care center, for example, is in favor of a temporary reduction in VAT, which already existed during the peak phase of the corona pandemic. His outpatient care service cannot and does not want to pass on the additional costs to customers who already have to bear high costs for care, he says. Bus operator Matheis, on the other hand, advocates a reduction in mineral oil tax or CO2 taxes.
Businessmen’s ideas differ, as do politicians’. The constituency member of the Bundestag Alexander Radwan (CSU) is calling for a reduction in VAT on diesel and petrol and a temporary reduction in all energy taxes, as this can be implemented quickly: “It is important that it is unbureaucratic and has an immediate effect,” says Radwan. It is of great importance that the additional government income from the rising fuel and energy prices remains with the citizen. With lower taxes, politicians can financially support commuters and medium-sized companies.
The member of the Bundestag Karl Bär from the Greens, who is also responsible for the district, has a different approach. He advocates the payment of a so-called energy money, a fixed annual lump sum that is paid to every citizen. This money is refinanced through income from energy taxes and CO2 taxes. The payout is not only quick to implement, says Bär. In this way, socially disadvantaged people in particular can be better supported. After all, an increase in energy prices runs through the entire economy and also causes higher prices for other goods, according to Bär. So even if people don’t own a car or don’t heat above average, sooner and later they are confronted with similar financial problems. Bär believes that the energy money has been “obviously more social and ecological” than tax cuts. “Because that would primarily support those who use a lot of energy. And those are primarily those who can afford it.”