Viennese households: Higher energy costs are expected at the turn of the year!

Viennese households: Higher energy costs are expected at the turn of the year!

The prices for electricity and gas in Vienna are on the best way to burden the household budgets. At the beginning of the new year, various cost factors are increased in energy supply, which could cause many consumers to cause inconvenience. A remarkable aspect is that the increasing use of renewable energies could be a decisive factor for these price increases.

In 2024, average inflation in Vienna was 3.55 percent, and the topic of increasing living costs is also relevant in the context of energy costs. In particular, the network fees- the fees levied for the provision of the electricity and gas network- are increasing. These fees are crucial for maintenance, renewal and expansion of the network, which brings energy to households. According to E-Control, an Austrian regulatory authority, the network fees have risen sharply, especially due to high investments in the network and a decline in consumption in the household area.

increases in network fees

The e-control explains that fewer and fewer consumers replace their traditional gas connection with alternative heating methods, which leads to a decline in gas tax. This means that the cost of maintaining the gas network is distributed to fewer users, which means that the price increase for the remaining consumers is inevitable. This development is particularly problematic because alternative heating solutions benefit the climate, but at the same time increase the financial burden for the users of the traditional network.

For an average budget with a power consumption of 3,500 kWh, according to e-control, the network charges for electricity will increase by around 30 percent, which means around 95 euros more per year. In the gas area, with a consumption of 15,000 kWh, experts expect an increase of almost 60 euros per year, which corresponds to an increase of around 14 percent.

It is important to note that these changes only affect the increased network fees. At the same time, the consumption prices are under pressure. By the end of the year, the so -called electricity price brake, which limits the price for the kilowatt hour to 10 cents. If this measure falls away, the price will adapt accordingly and the increases will be passed on to the end consumers one to one.

planned tax increases

In addition, the state strives to increase the electricity tax, which is currently being reduced to the minimum level of 0.1 cents per kWh, again on January 1, 2025. This could increase to up to 1.5 cents per kWh. That would mean a noticeable increase in costs for households.

Since the government is thinking about reinsuring the renewable funding contributions and flat rates, the situation for consumers could further exacerbate the situation for consumers from the beginning of 2025. These contributions are a decisive source of financing for the costs of energy production from renewable resources, but the exact amounts have not yet been determined.

The current developments show that Viennese households will have to expect significant price increases in electricity and gas in the coming year, which could further burden consumers' already tense financial situation. For a detailed view of this topic, a look at the reporting on www.meinbezirk.at .