Rising electricity prices in 2016
Electricity consumers were able to breathe a little easier on prices this year, but they will rise again in 2016. The main reason is levies for the energy transition and the expansion of the grid. Are the major grid operators artificially inflating their profits in the process?
German electricity customers will have to pay significantly more for their electricity in 2016. Only a few providers are slightly reducing prices; several suppliers have already announced increases averaging just over three percent for next year, according to an initial survey conducted by the German Press Agency (dpa) among major price comparison portals.
This equates to roughly 40 euros per year for the average household (4000 kilowatt hours). The main reason is increased levies and government charges. However, Greens and consumer advocates have raised doubts about one particular item: the network costs.
Around 23 percent of the electricity price is attributable to network charges for the expansion and operation of the electricity grid. According to Verivox, these charges are increasing by almost four percent on average across Germany, with very strong regional differences and fluctuations of up to 15 percent in some areas .
About the author
Harry Mohr
Real estate agent (Chamber of Industry and Commerce)Harry Mohr, author of this article
