District Heating Tiffs: vzbv Takes Eon and Hansewerk Natur to Court
In a bold move, the German Consumer Organization Federation (vzbv) has initiated legal action against district heating providers Eon and Hansewerk Natur. The lawsuit centers around allegations of unlawful price hikes, with class action lawsuits seeking refunds for affected customers. These hikes reportedly saw prices soar by several hundred percent, leaving many customers paying significantly more for heating in 2022 than they did in 2020. Funke Mediengruppe previously reported on such legal actions.
vzbv: Price Hikes Not Up to Snuff
According to vzbv, the price hikes of recent years do not meet legal requirements due to inadequate price change clauses. The organization is challenging price increases that occurred post-2020.
Eon: Prices Fair and Compliant
Eon and Hansewerk Natur have dismissed the accusations, maintaining that their district heating prices adhere to legal requirements and are responsive to market fluctuations. An Eon spokesperson in Essen explained the rationale behind their prices, insisting they are "fair, transparent, and comply with all legal requirements."
Hansewerk Natur also cited historically high gas prices resulting from the Russian attack on Ukraine as a major contributing factor to their price increases, with plans to purchase natural gas at significantly lower prices for 2024.
vzbv: Erkrath Example Highlights Price Increase
The consumer advocates draw attention to Eon prices in the Erkrath-Hochdahl supply area in North Rhine-Westphalia where prices rose from 6.18 to 23.24 cents per kilowatt hour between 2020 and 2022. This translates to an additional 3,500 euros in costs for consumers with an annual consumption of 15,000 kilowatt hours for 2021 and 2022. Similar price hikes have been observed within Eon and Hansewerk Natur's district heating prices.
Customers can join the class action lawsuits by registering with the Federal Office of Justice (BfJ), with the register expected to open in the coming weeks. Litigation has been filed with the higher regional courts in Schleswig (SH) and Hamm (NRW).
Cartel Office Investigates District Heating Providers
The Federal Cartel Office has taken notice of excessive price hikes by district heating suppliers in response to escalating energy prices and competition. Six suppliers are currently facing abuse proceedings for suspected excessive price increases, although the specific suppliers involved have not been disclosed. The Cartel Office is particularly interested in examining the application of price adjustment clauses.
Insights from Enrichment Data
Consumer organizations and policy experts have called for reforms to the district heating (DH) tariff system to improve its cost-reflection, transparency, and fairness. Recommendations include:
- Adopting EU's Energy Efficiency First principle.
- Overhauling tariff design and structure, ensuring cost-reflection and social subsidies.
- Addressing debts of DH companies and modernizing their operation.
- Promoting energy-efficient and sustainable heat supply.
- Strengthening the investment environment and consumer protection.
These enrichment insights might help explain vzbv's stance on Eon and Hansewerk Natur's price hikes, as they highlight the need for district heating tariffs to be fair, transparent, and cost-reflective. However, specific details on vzbv's challenges to Eon and Hansewerk Natur's price hikes were not provided in the sources.
