Energy costs are rising – “How high should I go with prices?”

Saving money is the order of the day for camera legend Joschi Dancsecs. In his office in Litzelsdorf he has already turned down the heating considerably. It only has a fresh 14.3 degrees Celsius there. There is no heating in the Oberwart high-rise, where he has his studio. “Everyone around me gets into a little bit of trouble for me,” he says. He saves nothing with it, he has to pay as much as everyone else, because the full heating costs are divided among all tenants. It is heated with gas. “Some are already moving out of high-rise buildings and buying a house because it is cheaper,” reports the film and TV producer.

Is there a risk of a cost shock in the final bill?
For Litzelsdorf he used to pay 500 euros every two months, now the requirement is 2300 euros. Therefore, the heating regulator is turned down whenever possible. After all, Burgenland Energie has accommodated him and has lowered the requirement to 1500 euros because of the savings measures. However, Dancsecs fears that – despite the energy cost subsidy from the government – it could still face a cost shock in the final bill.

Energy costs six times as much
Roland and Werner Tschiedel, who run the Gasthaus Ziegelwerk in Wimpassing, were also shocked when their consultant calculated the expected costs for electricity and gas for the coming year. If they had to pay 20,000 euros a year thanks to a cheap rate, it will probably be 121,000 euros from February – at least that was the situation in October. Suddenly the energy costs had to be six times higher for a young, medium-sized company like the brick factory, says Roland Tschiedel.

The brothers want to keep food prices untouched as much as possible. “Otherwise no one will come. Because hardly anyone buys a schnitzel for 25 euros. In addition, a good price-quality ratio is important to us.”

Expensive switch to Photovotaik
You want to reduce energy costs with a heat pump and photovoltaic roofs. After the energy advice of the Wirtschaftsbund, a concept was developed together with Siemens. The investment would amount to around 300,000 euros. But the feed causes a headache. The restaurant peaks especially in the evening when it is dark. “We hope that we can find a good solution together with Burgenland Energie,” says Tschiedel.

The aim is for energy costs in the future to be around 50,000 euros instead of 121,000 euros. “It won’t be like it used to be.” What if it doesn’t work? “I don’t even want to think about that.” He thinks the energy cost subsidy is positive. But the question arises when the money will be paid out, says Tschiedel.

Companies want certainty
Mariana Solinas-Moser, who runs a café in Güssing, sees the subsidy less positively. She fears that small and micro-enterprises like hers will be forgotten. “But we have to pay three to four times as much for electricity, just like the big ones.” From January their costs will triple. “I’m lucky that I don’t have a kitchen. But I also have to finance myself. How high should I go with the prices?” says Solinas-Moser. Safety and clear guidelines are needed, she says to the federal government.

“chance to survive”
In this case, division manager Franz Perner can at least bring peace. From January, when the old contracts expire for most of those affected, 60 percent of the additional costs would be absorbed by the energy cost subsidy. This also applies to small businesses. He understands the concerns of those affected. “For a long time energy costs were not an issue, now many people have to start calculating.” There are companies that now have energy costs of 8,000 euros per month with a turnover of 14,000 euros. The energy cost subsidy is “not the ideal solution, but a way to survive”.