Energy prices: who is relieved by the state – and who is not – economy

The bill came the day before Christmas Eve. According to the electricity and gas provider, the customer had to transfer almost 500 euros to the company. Payment deadline: January 5th. Carmen Diehl, a hairdresser from Biebesheim in southern Hesse, was shocked. It was impossible for her to pay the hefty additional and down payment, especially not in one fell swoop. Diehl called her energy supplier and asked how this amount came about – after all, she even used less electricity than the year before. An employee explained to the 53-year-old that this was mainly due to the sharp rise in gas prices. In addition, the value added tax, which was reduced to 16 percent during the corona pandemic, has grown again to 19 percent. “It was tough for me,” says Diehl, a single mother who works part-time as a hairdresser. “My son then paid the bill. He earns a lot alongside his studies. But asking him to do it made me very uncomfortable.”