Due to rising gas prices, many Germans want to switch to basic payment tariffs, but suppliers in every possible way prevent this.
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According to the newspaper, it is unprofitable for suppliers to switch consumers to economical tariffs due to loss of profit.
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According to German law, the energy supplier is obliged to supply each customer with a basic supply program, but companies, based on their own benefit, offer customers an alternative. So, they transfer to the basic tariff only after three months, and at this time they are forced to pay for gas according to the replacement option.
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“Essential supplies have always been the cash cow of suppliers, but this has now changed. Many companies are now trying to make replacement supplies the new cash cow,” said energy expert Holger Schneidewindt from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Center.
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At the same time, it is noted that the Germans have the right not to switch to replacement supply upon termination of the contract with the supplier.
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Earlier, residents of Germany complained about the cold in the apartments due to rising gas prices. German businesses consumed 22 percent less gas in August than in the same month in 2018-2021. It is noted that there are no accurate data on households to date.
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According to the publication, in the first half of the year, the reduction in gas consumption amounted to 15 percent, but at least half of these figures are due to mild weather.
