After termination – for gas instead of 1600 now more than 8000 euros per year

Finding a gas supplier is not easy in times like these. A Tyrolean (name known) is currently experiencing the same. He was a customer of an energy supplier in Vienna for many years. Last year he paid 1,600 euros per year for his gas – consumption 28,000 kWh per year. “In the spring of 2022 they increased my costs to 3,000 euros and in July I was finally fired,” he says. He therefore had to quickly look for a new provider. “Of course the first thing I thought of was the Tigas,” he emphasizes.

Tyrolean was initially rejected at the end of August
A completely understandable step, since the Tigas supply area covers some 175 municipalities in Tyrol and in 2021 supplied some four million megawatt hours of gas via the approximately 3900 km long gas network to more than 120,000 Tyrolean households, industry and commercial companies and public authorities. buildings.

But the first attempt by the Tyrolean on August 27 to receive an offer on the online customer portal as a new customer failed. It read in writing: “Thank you for your interest in a delivery by Tigas-Erdgas Tirol GmbH. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer you a product in the specified delivery area.”

Sudden offer: more than 8000 euros
Just a few days later – on August 31 – the turning point came: the Tyrolean tried his luck again online and actually received an offer – a “Tigas Comfort Private” offer: “On the basis of the information you provided, we were able to for you. Please select a product to initiate the transaction.” The annual price for the consumption of 28,000 kWh/year: 8129.33 euros He does not yet know whether he will accept that.

“Are these the prizes we’re all going to get from now on?”
The Tyrolean is amazed: “How is it possible? Why am I rejected first, but then I get an offer? How can the colossal price be explained? Does this sharp increase apply to all customers? And are these actually the prices that Tigas customers in the coming months?”

“Krone” confronted the Tigas with this case
Legitimate questions that “Tiroler Krone” picked up and contacted Tigas-Erdgas Tirol GmbH. The technical director Georg Tollinger commented on this current case.

“The new cost-effective rates were worked out over the weekend of the end of August. For technical reasons, there was no way to select a rate, and this is probably the reason for this message, which was clearly reported by the customer. As soon as the new rate was available, the customer was contacted to ensure delivery – as he himself reports -,” explains Tollinger.

This price adjustment had become necessary “because in our advance planning we could not have imagined that so many other providers would cancel their customers in the short term,” he says. The increase is due to current market prices – for those gas quantities that currently need to be purchased for new customers that are not planned. The price level for new contracts must be “cost-effective because of the relevant provisions”.

“Pricing adjustment for new customers in July 2023”
“For existing customers, we assume that the next price adjustment – as enshrined in our ALB (Note: General Terms of Delivery) – will take place on July 1, 2023. Therefore, no price increases are planned for this winter,” says Tollinger, promising: “As a state energy supplier, Tigas will ensure the best possible supply and delivery for the coming heating season for all affected customers in the Tigas grid area.”