energy prices
Supplier suspends new customer business – not an isolated case
High procurement costs: For the time being, the Berlin supplier no longer wants to accept new customers for electricity and gas in fixed-term tariffs. Photo: Jörg Carstensen/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Electricity and gas have become so expensive on the energy exchanges that some suppliers no longer want any new customers. The Berliner Gasag is now announcing such a freeze on new customers.
The high exchange prices for electricity and gas are also causing problems for large energy suppliers. Berliner Gasag announced on Thursday that it was no longer accepting new customers for electricity and gas in term tariffs due to the sharp rise in procurement costs.
Gasag is not an isolated case. “We are also currently observing that providers are temporarily withdrawing new customer offers, but we do not have a complete overview of the market here,” said a spokesman for the comparison portal Verivox. However, a withdrawal is not unusual, he stressed. “Since the beginning of the energy crisis, providers have repeatedly paused their new customer offers and come back as soon as the market prices allow it.”
Reluctance to acquire new customers
Industry circles have confirmed that “isolated” companies are no longer accepting new customers on special tariffs or are reluctant to acquire new customers. “The situation is extremely tense and difficult because hardly any calculations are possible,” said an insider.
Most suppliers, such as municipal utilities, buy a large part of their electricity and gas volumes, sometimes years in advance, at fixed prices. If they also need energy, this must be bought on the energy exchanges. Prices there have risen significantly in recent months, especially after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Gasag: Customer supplies secured
The basic and replacement supply is not affected at Gasag, said a company spokeswoman. “As a Gasag customer, there is no need to worry – your supply is secured,” said the website. However, sales have been stopped for the time being. “Due to the current market situation and the rising procurement prices, intensified by the Ukraine conflict, it is currently not possible for us to offer you an offer with fair conditions.”
The wholesale price has increased by more than 500 percent compared to March 2021. “Gasag was able to secure large quantities of gas at lower prices at an early stage,” the company explained. “Therefore, the new high wholesale prices do not have to be passed on to the customers in full.” Gasag supplies gas to around 400,000 private households in Berlin and supplies more than 200,000 with electricity.
Last autumn, Germany’s largest energy supplier Eon did not accept any new gas customers for a few days, also citing the increased procurement costs as the reason for this. Currently, however, products can still be offered to new customers, an Eon spokesman emphasized on Thursday. “The situation on the energy markets has been historically unique for months,” he said. The procurement prices for energy have been at a very high level since the start of the heating period.
The market price for gas delivered the following day was 150 euros per megawatt hour on Wednesday. Three weeks earlier it was just under 69 euros.