Gas prices remain constant
Due to the planned electricity price increase in the general tariff of the basic supply and in the special product PowerPack Privat as of 1 January 2007, Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG) recommends that its electricity customers read their meters at the end of the year. The deadline is 31 December 2006. Anyone wishing to read their electricity meter themselves and notify SWG can do so on the Internet at www.stadtwerke-giessen.de or by calling the service hotline on 0180 22 11 100 (Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). The amount of the monthly instalments will not be automatically adjusted due to the price increase. If customers want to avoid additional payments, SWG recommends calling the service number.
The situation is different in the area of natural gas and district heating supply. The oil price, to which SWG is still bound in its supply contract with E.ON Ruhrgas, is falling slightly. This means that despite the net price reduction in gas and heating prices, SWG can only keep gross prices constant. However, SWG is able to compensate for the increase in VAT from 16 to 19 per cent. As the gross prices remain the same, it is not necessary to read the meters on 31 December.
Prices already published
Attentive newspaper readers could already see the new prices as of 1 January 2007 in the Giessen daily newspapers on 17 November.
The electricity price increase marks the end of a phase of price stability that has lasted for at least three quarters of a year. The general tariff prices for the basic supply will be increased by 1.32 cents gross to 18.05 cents per kilowatt hour. The basic, output and billing prices will remain constant net; only the increase in VAT will be passed on to customers. The labour price for the special product PowerPack Private will also increase by 1.35 ct/kWh to 16.70 ct/kWh (gross) for annual consumption of up to 6,387 kWh. The basic price increases from 99 euros to 101.55 euros (gross). With a consumption of more than 6,387 kWh per year, the kilowatt hour will cost 18.29 Ct/kWh (gross) from January instead of the current 16.90 Ct/kWh; the basic price will be cancelled in this consumption range.
SWG offers advice on saving energy
There is still a great deal of energy that can be saved in almost every household. Customers who would like to find out where they can actually make savings can take advantage of SWG's energy advice service at the infoCentre on Marktplatz. The infoCentre is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 14:00