Battle of the giants in Tyrol: The powerful chairman of the Tyrolean Workers’ Chamber, Erwin Zangerl, takes on the state energy supplier Tiwag for its pricing policy. The fact that there will be an AK election next year is probably just one of the reasons!
The office of the Tyrolean AK president on the second of the four-storey building is spartan: desk, small leather-covered sofa with table, television, a picture and a view of the Alte Post and the regional court.
„Crown“:Mr President, we would like to start with an admittedly somewhat provocative question: do you see yourself as a modern “Robin Hood” who takes from the wealthy energy companies and gives to the exploited Tyroleans?
Erwin Zangerl: No. I’m not “Robin Hood”. I orientate myself exclusively on figures, data and facts. These speak a clear language – to the energy producers. And energy is one of the main drivers of inflation. Once you pay more for the electricity than in the bakery for the sandwich. Water belongs to the land and the people, the production facilities of the land and the communities, but also to the land and the people. People do not understand that now, in a difficult situation, the price goes up. The own production in Tyrol is demonstrably present. The manufacturers also advertise with it. And people wonder: where is the electricity then? It is suspected that it will disappear somewhere abroad and then have to be bought again at a price X, which will then be passed on to those who need the power – namely the households.
But even after the planned increase, Tyrol still has a cheap rate compared to the rest of Austria. At least that’s what the Tiwag says.
I’ve believed that for decades. It now appears that even this cheapest electricity has been overpaid by customers. Because you could provide all household customers with the river power plants for at least nine months a year. According to my information, production at the river power stations costs three to four cents, which is less than a quarter of the current rate. Now we read in the “Krone” interview with LH Mattle that 130 million in dividends flow into the country, which pays for health, education and more. From the Tiwag customers, and exclusively from them. With the best will in the world, it cannot be that the price of electricity is de facto converted into a tax! Because in the end it is currently a tax to cover some expenses.
They demand nothing less than a reorganization of the Tyrolean energy industry, which is embedded in the European network.
The problem is that the electricity suppliers refuse to be transparent because it could be assumed that all electricity is sold. And not just peak current. And then we have to buy back electricity that doesn’t come from renewable sources. That is why we are submitting a motion to the General Assembly to amend Tiwag’s Articles of Association. At the moment, not a word is said about the energy supply of the Tyrolean population. When I pointed this out at the recent meeting with Tiwag and the country, Tiwag’s chairman replied that we are a publicly traded company and are only committed to profit. So I got up.
What does the AK president recommend to the thousands of Tyrolean households that have not yet signed the Tiwag letter?
Sign, what’s left? The Tiwag opts for a procedure under the motto “take it or leave it”. From the first court case, we will also take further litigation and show that the increases were not allowed at all. Our expert opinion on this has opened Pandora’s box, no doubt about that. It’s not funny to anyone, not even us.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
