Household energy prices rose sharply again in January of this year, by 12.8 percent. In a year-on-year comparison, household energy prices rose by 40.8 percent. The main reasons were price increases for electricity, natural gas and district heating.
The price increase in January this year was the largest since March 2022. The cost brake for electricity would have had an effect, but the price depressing effect was overshadowed by other price increases. At the beginning of the year, electricity prices rose by 25.9 percent month-on-month and by 17.7 percent year-on-year. Customers also had to dig deeper into their pockets for gas in January: prices rose by 15.4 percent compared to December 2022, and gas prices rose no less than 104.0 percent compared to January 2022.
The main reasons for this were the regular contract adjustments of some energy suppliers and increased network tariffs. From March 1, however, network rates are likely to drop again, since then 80 percent of the additional costs have been borne by the federal government. There are currently more and more cheaper offers for electricity on the end-customer market, so a comparison of providers could be worthwhile, according to the energy agency.
District heating became considerably more expensive, pellets slightly cheaper
District heating also became more expensive at the beginning of the year. Compared to the previous month of December, the additional price was 22.2 percent, while district heating was 94.3 percent more expensive compared to last year. The reason is the drastically increased cost price of fuels such as natural gas and biomass. However, in the case of district heating, prices can vary greatly from region to region, so this is an average value.
Meanwhile, wood pellet prices fell 7.3 percent month-on-month, but continued to rise 98.9 percent year-on-year. Firewood increased by 2.8 percent compared to December, compared to January 2022, prices were 83.4 percent higher this year.
Diesel more expensive than premium petrol
Diesel was also more expensive than premium petrol in January, but the price difference has narrowed. An average tank filling (50 litres) of premium petrol costs around 80 euros at the start of the year, an increase of 10.2 percent on an annual basis. For diesel you had to pay about 87 euros for the same tank of fuel, which corresponds to a price increase of 23.8 percent on an annual basis. For domestic heating oil alone, the price fell 1.2 percent on a month-on-month basis, but the price was still 49.6 percent higher on a year-on-year basis.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
