According to Tuesday’s court ruling, the parties in the Tyrolean state parliament are demanding payment to customers of the state energy supplier Tiwag. The company also announced this in a statement. LH Anton Mattle sees himself as “confirmed in my course”.
“What does the non-legal judgment mean for me after the Chamber of Labor’s lawsuit against Tiwag?” Many Tyroleans will probably ask themselves this question. In a broadcast on Tuesday afternoon, the state energy supplier announced that “appropriate reimbursements are being considered based on the ruling in the first instance. However, customers no longer have to wait for legal clarification. Therefore, Tiwag will make an initial refund payment. The start is scheduled for the end of March 2024.” The verdict will be examined at the next instance.
FPÖ speaks of “energy price robber barons”
The presentation of the verdict also provoked reactions from the state parliament parties. “The bankruptcy at first instance proves that the energy price robber baronism of the Tiwag leadership was and probably still is illegal,” said FP state party leader Markus Abwerzger, who criticized the fact that customers had suffered in recent months while Tiwag continued with “huge balance sheet profits’, I wrote. Markus Lassenberger, deputy mayor of the FPÖ of Innsbruck, calls on Innsbruck’s municipal companies to think again: “As an energy supplier that is fifty percent owned by Tiwag, those responsible must act quickly to limit the damage to customers minimum.”
Greens demand compensation, List Fritz sees ‘stage victory’
The Greens also call for “immediate consequences”. “Tiwag made unlawful profits at the expense of the Tyroleans. You must return what is not yours. The customers must be compensated immediately,” said club chairman Gebi Mair.
“For us, the electricity price increases in 2022 and 2023 were not only antisocial and unfair, but also economically unnecessary. “We want a Tiwag that puts Tyrolean customers and owners first,” List Fritz club chairman Markus Sint also sees an “important stage victory” in the verdict.
Neos for closing, LH Mattle sees its price confirmed
Meanwhile, Neos boss Dominik Oberhofer sees a “scandal in that as a customer of the state energy supplier you have to go to court to enforce your right to a legally compliant electricity price. Now it’s about drawing a line in the sand and guaranteeing an affordable price for all customers.”
And what does Tiwag owner representative LH Anton Mattle say? “The verdict confirms my course to reposition Tiwag in terms of content, structure and personnel. This reshuffle includes the advertising of board positions, the amendment of the Tiwag statutes and the basic electricity supply that has already been decided,” he explains when asked by the “Krone”.
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.
