Even if the winter was very mild at times, consumers had little reason to be happy about it. Gas and heating oil customers have never paid more for heating. Gas in particular was extremely expensive.
The most expensive heating season of all time is over. Consumers can look back on a comparatively mild winter of 2022/2023, but this was not reflected in the heating costs – on the contrary: Despite a drop in heating requirements, heating oil and gas customers had to pay more than ever between September and May.
Despite the gas price brake: record costs for gas
A model household that heated its terraced house with gas paid an average of 2534 euros in the current heating period from September 2022 to May 2023 including the gas price brake, according to the comparison portal Check24. The price premium compared to the same period last year was twelve percent.
Without the gas price brake, gas costs would have been 240 euros higher. The assumption of the December discount in the current heating period was also taken into account when calculating the gas costs. For a model household, this was equivalent to a saving of 274 euros. According to Check24, consumers paid around 17 percent or 514 euros less gas costs as a result of the state support measures.
Gas customers paid more than heating oil consumers
Despite the gas price brake and the adoption of the December discount, gas customers were clearly at a disadvantage compared to heating oil consumers: gas costs for the period from September 2022 to May 2023 were a full 15 percent higher than heating oil costs. Households with oil heating had to pay 2,204 euros from September to May – twelve percent more than in the same period last year.
Gas was “extremely expensive” during this heating period, according to Steffen Suttner, Energy Manager at Check24. “Now, however, the wholesale prices have fallen significantly and the alternative providers are reacting to this with cheap offers for new customers.”
You can make significant savings by switching suppliers
This results in potential savings for consumers who are willing to switch. For example, families can save an average of 793 euros compared to basic services in addition to the gas price brake.
The average heating oil price in Germany also fell further in May, and is currently 88 euros for 100 liters of oil. For comparison: In October 2022, consumers still had to pay an average of 155.55 euros.