State suppliers have to buy electricity at high costs and have little room for maneuver. Therefore, they cannot offer the same discounts as the association. On Tuesday, the company, 51 percent owned by the Republic of Austria, announced it would credit all of its customers two monthly bills — four for low-income earners.
There is great excitement among many state suppliers, whose customers are the majority of household households. Because those who hardly have their own power plant (all except Tyrol and Vorarlberg) nowadays have to buy electricity from the Verbund at a market price of more than 200 euros per MWh. He produces electricity in his hydroelectric power plants at a fraction of the market price, making a fortune.
Therefore, EVN, Wien Energie, Salzburg, Upper Austria and Styria cannot grant such discounts as Verbund. “If the association gives us a special discount on our purchases, we are happy to pass it on to the customers. We have to buy 80 percent of our electricity from him,” said EVN boss Stefan Szyszkowitz.
Suggestion: temporarily reduce sales tax
Leo Schitter of Salzburg AG had another suggestion: “A temporary reduction in the sales tax on electricity would quickly help all Austrians and relieve low-income households.” At Wien Energie, it is pointed out that the city will leave the city at the end of June/beginning of July without an application “Energy Support Plus” of 200 euros for particularly affected Viennese (eg recipients of minimum income, minimum pensioners, unemployed).
The pure energy price currently makes up half of the electricity price (graph), the other part consists of grid fees and taxes. The state suppliers are officially holding back with harsh criticism of the association’s campaign. As shareholders of the group, Vienna and EVN benefit from the high dividends. Others are also politically close to the ÖVP and don’t want to deny the government’s course.
Special dividend planned
Verbund announced on Wednesday that it plans a special dividend of 400 million euros for 2022 (ie distribution in 2023). This increases the payment to a total of 1.2 billion euros. “This will allow us to finance the anti-inflation measures,” Chancellor Nehammer’s office said happily. 51 percent of the dividend (600 million euros) goes to the federal government, but of course all other shareholders also benefit.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
