The town hall coalition wants to support needy families in Munich who are in financial distress as a result of the exploding district heating prices. The Green/Pink List and SPD/Volt factions also want more transparency and clarity from Stadtwerke München (SWM) as the only provider as to how the increase will come about. The working price for district heating has tripled within a year. An average household could face a doubling of the annual costs from 1304 to 2273 euros, calculated the parliamentary group The Left / The Party in a request to the city.
The rising energy prices in general have an “enormous explosive force”, said SPD city councilor Christian Koening. These should not contribute to further divisions in society. The city has already launched an initial aid package that is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2022. 17,500 Munich households could benefit, said Köning. Should the situation worsen due to further price increases, as is the case with district heating, “then we will do it again”. That was also promised by Dominik Krause, Group Vice President of the Greens. You have to support low-income households because, according to the public utility company, you can hardly do anything about the prices.
Apparently, the municipal subsidiary prepared the coalition that more than a hundred thousand Munich households would soon have to reckon with sharply rising district heating prices. At the request of the SZ, SWM pointed out at the end of last week that the raw material prices were to blame, which one “cannot influence oneself”. City politicians also got this information, said Green City Councilor Krause. The SWM argued with “clear legal regulations” to which they are subject in pricing.
The index that the municipal utilities use to determine their district heating price apparently only contains the fossil fuels gas, oil and coal. Not only Left City Councilor Stefan Jagel wonders why geothermal energy and the incineration of waste and sewage sludge are not included. Because in the applied combined heat and power generation, not only electricity is produced, but also heat. The Greens and the SPD now want to ask the public utilities again whether there is some leeway in the pricing of district heating.
At the head of the supervisory board, the mayor can make announcements
“We have to take a very close look at that, also on the supervisory board,” said SPD city councilor Köning. At the top is his party colleague Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), the man who, as the representative of the sole owner, namely the city, could make clear announcements. The Greens also see a need for improvement. In particular, Krause sees potential in communicating the price increases to the citizens of Munich. The lack of transparency caused “a lot of resentment,” said the deputy parliamentary group leader: “I don’t understand why it’s not explained better.”
He doesn’t believe that city politics can still do much about the rising prices. Rather, he fears that people who depend on gas should also expect further increases. In addition to cushioning social emergencies, Krause sees another point where politics must react: with insulation and thus saving energy in the buildings in the city. A key reaction to energy prices must therefore be: “Renovate, renovate, renovate.”