Rising oil and gas prices as a result of the Ukraine war and climate change are currently making energy consultants attractive contacts. An opportune time for the reopening of the Unterföhring office of the Ebersberg-Munich energy agency. “Energy transition and renewable energies are top issues,” said Munich District Administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) on Wednesday morning at a small celebration. With the reopening of the Unterfoehringer office as a counterpart to the Unterhachinger office, the north of the district of Munich can now also take advantage of the energy consulting offer at a lower threshold and thus make a contribution to climate protection. The central location of the reopened office, directly opposite the Unterföhring town hall, now creates visibility for environmental issues, said Göbel. His Ebersberg district administrator colleague and party friend Robert Niedergesäß emphasized: “We can only achieve the energy transition together.” The Energy Agency’s contact points therefore provide good support for “interested and committed citizens” who want to contribute to climate protection.
In 2014, the Energy Agency was only active in the Ebersberg district. About three years later, the district of Munich joined as the second shareholder, and the first consulting office in Unterhaching followed at the end of 2018. The office in Unterföhring was considered open as early as October last year, but had to close again after a few weeks due to the pandemic. Operations are now being ramped up, says Energy Agency Managing Director Willie Stiehler, and apparently at exactly the right time. “The need for energy advice has increased fivefold,” says Stiehler. “When the Ukraine war started, it was really on a scale we’ve never seen before.”
“People want to achieve a degree of independence in electricity”
In the meantime, the rush is regulated again, but the fear of energy dependency and price increases are currently more preoccupying people than ever. The most popular consulting topic: Photovoltaics. “People want to achieve a certain degree of independence in the electricity sector,” explains Stiehler. Photovoltaic is the most uncomplicated measure compared to more complex house renovations. Homeowners are also increasingly saying goodbye to gas heaters, Stiehler notes, and recommends that they seek advice from the energy consultants about possible support in the form of grants when it comes to renovations in the direction of the energy transition.
From now on, three of the 29 employees of the energy agency are located in the north of the district. Those seeking advice currently have to wait around three weeks for an appointment. These mainly take place online or by telephone, says Bettina Röttgers, Head of Press and Public Relations at the Energy Agency. If desired, discussions could also take place in person in the new office. Initial appointments are generally free of charge and can be arranged after registering on the Energy Agency’s website.