Stadtwerke Gießen is keeping the labour prices for the basic supply of electricity constant despite increasing levies and state-regulated charges.
However, due to the massive increase in charges for grid utilisation, the company is having to raise the basic prices in the basic and replacement supply of electricity - by €2.09 gross per month.
Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) has been offering its customers constant electricity prices in the basic and replacement supply for around four years - even though the state-regulated share of the price has now risen to over 50 per cent. "Thanks to our procurement strategy and the continuous optimisation of internal processes, we have always been able to offset the growing levies and charges," explains Jens Schmidt, Commercial Director at SWG.
This will not change for the labour prices in the basic electricity supply beyond the turn of the year 2016/2017, despite an EEG levy that will increase by 0.526 cents per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh) to 6.88 ct/kWh. The energy prices for supply without off-peak regulation therefore remain at 27.52 ct/kWh and for supply with off-peak regulation at 28.41 ct/kWh (HT) and 18.99 ct/kWh (NT).
Rising grid costs
SWG is able to cushion the growing share of levies and charges in the electricity price. However, due to the significantly higher fees for grid usage, Stadtwerke Gießen will have to adjust the basic price in the basic and replacement electricity supply as of 1 January 2017. "The transmission system operators have increased the fees throughout Germany, in some cases by as much as 80 per cent. This increase is included in the calculations of smaller grid operators such as Mittelhessen Netz GmbH and is passed on indirectly to all customers," explains Jens Schmidt. In the basic and replacement supply of electricity, this leads to a slight increase in the basic price of 25.11 euros gross per year, the equivalent of 2.09 euros per month. This means that from 1 January 2017, the basic price in the basic supply without off-peak load regulation will be €94.77 gross per year and €119.39 gross per year in the basic supply with off-peak load regulation.
Service online and in person
As the energy price remains stable, customers do not need to inform SWG of their current meter reading as of 1 January 2017. The changes to the basic price are automatically included in the calculation of the annual bill. If you want to keep an eye on your contracts and bills at all times, you can also use the SWG online service at www.stadtwerke-giessen.de/onlineservice. The service staff at the SWG customer centre on Marktplatz in Giessen can also help with any questions - also by telephone on 0800 23 02 100 (free of charge from the German landline network and all German mobile networks).
Overview of levies and charges
Levy under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG): The EEG levy is growing once again and has reached a new high. It will rise from 6.354 to 6.880 ct/kWh net for 2017, +0.526 ct/kWh net compared to 2016.
Levy under the Combined Heat and Power Act: This levy is used to promote the maintenance, modernisation and expansion of energy generation through combined heat and power generation. The levy will fall slightly from 0.445 to 0.438 ct/kWh net for 2017.
Levy in accordance with Section 19 of the Electricity Grid Charges Ordinance (StromNEV): The levy in accordance with Section 19 StromNEV increases slightly for 2017 for customers with an annual consumption of up to 100,000 kWh from 0.378 to 0.388 ct/kWh net.
Offshore levy in accordance with Section 17f (5) of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG): The offshore levy decreases from 0.040 to -0.028 ct/kWh net.
Levy in accordance with Section 18 of the Ordinance on Agreements on Switchable Loads (AbLaV): Following the interim abolition of the levy in 2016, it will be levied again following an amendment to the corresponding ordinance and will amount to 0.006 ct/kWh net for 2017, as it did in 2015.