The Bundestag decided today to introduce price brakes for gas and electricity. That means: In the coming year, 80 percent of the previous year’s consumption will be billed at a price set by the state. But are you really saving?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1-Electricity price brake: That’s how much a family saves
2-Gas price brake: That’s how much a couple saves
3-That’s how much a single household saves
4-Measures against the price explosion: save and switch
Today, with the votes of the traffic light parliamentary groups, the Bundestag passed the billion-dollar legislative package that you know as the gas price brake and electricity price brake. The goal: Households and companies should get some relief in the energy crisis. This is financed by skimming off the currently high energy revenues. The price brakes for gas and electricity will be billed from March 2023. They should then also apply to January and February. The principle: the state caps the energy price for 80 percent of the previous year’s consumption, for gas to 12 cents per kilowatt hour, for electricity to 40 cents per kilowatt hour. Only consumption in excess of this is billed at the working price of the current gas or electricity tariff.
But how much can you really save in the end? The comparison portal Verivox grabbed the calculator and calculated various scenarios. The conclusion: A three-person household in a single-family home can expect annual savings of a total of 883 euros on electricity and gas. Couples in a 100 square meter apartment receive around 588 euros, singles in a one-room apartment around 278 euros. But how do these numbers come about?
ELECTRICITY PRICE BRAKE: THAT’S HOW MUCH A FAMILY SAVES
In mid-December, the nationwide average gas costs for a single-family house with an annual consumption of 20,000 kWh were 3,565 euros, according to Verivox. The average working price is currently 17.13 cents/kWh, the average basic price is 141.22 euros per year. The gas price brake reduces gas costs by 821 euros from 3,565 euros to 2,744 euros. The electricity costs for this household with an annual consumption of 4,000 kWh are on average nationwide at 1,815 euros. The costs are made up of an average energy price of 41.94 cents per kWh and a basic price of 140 euros per year. The total costs of 1,815 euros are reduced by 62 euros to 1,753 euros as a result of the electricity price brake. In total, the budget comes to 883 euros.
GAS PRICE BRAKE: THAT’S HOW MUCH A COUPLE SAVES
For a two-person household, Verivox assumes 12,000 kWh per year with an average energy price of 17.25 cents/kWh and a basic price of 134.16 euros. The total costs of 2,183 euros are reduced by 504 euros to 1,679 euros as a result of the gas price brake. For electricity with a consumption of 2,800 kWh, the average energy price is 43.75 cents/kWh and the basic price is 135.51 euros. The electricity price brake reduces the total costs by 84 euros from 1,311 euros to 1,227 euros. In total 588 euros.
THAT’S HOW MUCH A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD SAVES
A single household (5,000 kWh gas) currently pays an average energy price of 17.71 cents/kWh and a basic price of 105.65 euros. Here, the total costs of 991 euros are reduced by 228 euros to 763 euros due to the gas price brake. With electricity, 1,500 kWh currently costs an average of 44.15 cents/kWh and a basic price of 137.46 euros. Here the total costs of 767 euros are reduced by 50 euros to 717 euros due to the electricity price brake, i.e. a total of 278 euros.
Of course, these are just example values. For example, anyone who gets hot water from a continuous-flow heater instead of gas will benefit more from the electricity price brake. At the same time, however, it does not consume any gas. But one thing is clear: Those who are still among the lucky ones, whose consumption prices are lower than the cap values, will not get any further relief.
You can also increase your savings by saving on electricity and gas. Anyone who manages to reduce domestic energy consumption in the coming year will have the kilowatt hours saved credited to the market price in their year-end billing.
Even if you are looking for a cheap electricity provider , you can save. You won’t currently find any provider who undercuts the cap amounts, but you have to pay for everything that exceeds the 20 percent limit yourself. To reduce this amount, your provider should be as cheap as possible. You also relieve the state, which will of course recoup the costs incurred through taxes.
MEASURES AGAINST THE PRICE EXPLOSION: SAVE AND SWITCH
We have put together various guides that you can use to save electricity and gas relatively easily without restricting yourself.
Saving when cooking: This is how you save electricity and gas in the kitchen
Saving electricity with LED lamps: These tips will help you through the dark winter
Electricity bill too high? These measures help quickly
5 tricks to save energy and money with Smart Home
Save gas in the household: These 8 tips will help you today
And if you don’t want to take care of a reasonable contract for electricity and gas yourself, we recommend our partner remind.me . According to their own statements, they only cooperate with reputable providers, monitor the contractual relationship and react if a provider increases their electricity or gas prices . In addition, according to remind.me, it has access to tariffs that you do not get on public comparison sites. This applies to electricity and gas.
