Ordinary Ledger: the new contract pays first

The energy industry association BDEW’s latest price check carries data as of 20 October¹. Its headline is short: rising prices for households “am aktuellen Rand”, at the current margin¹.

The figures. A gas contract that a single-family household can sign today averaged 14.2 cents per kilowatt hour on 15 October, 3.1 cents or 28% more than at the start of the year¹. Electricity for a household using 3,500 kWh a year averaged 39.3 cents, 2.1 cents or 6% more¹. For customers in running tariffs, whose prices were usually set at the turn of the year or fixed, BDEW says there has been no effect “bislang”, so far¹.

The ledger. Desk arithmetic, at BDEW’s reference volumes: 20,000 kWh of gas at the new-contract average costs about €2,840 a year, €620 more than at January’s price. 3,500 kWh of electricity costs about €1,376, €73.50 more. Grid fees add a little in January: Verivox estimates about €19 a year for that gas household and about €8 for a 4,000 kWh electricity household, with large regional differences, Berlin among the steepest³.

What protects you. A supplier must tell you of a price change at least a month before it applies, give the reason and the size, and point out your right to terminate early². A price guarantee in the contract can rule an increase out, though often only for the parts the supplier controls². If you are in the basic supply, the Grundversorgung, you can leave with two weeks’ notice at any time². Desk arithmetic: a change for 1 January has to be announced by about 1 December.

The constructive reading. The gap between the new price and the running one is time, and time is useful. It is the window in which to find your contract, note the end date and read every letter from your supplier, including the ones that look like advertising, which the regulator warns can hide increases². Nothing here is advice.