The head of the Federal Association of Consumer Centers (vzbv), Ramona Pop, calls for households to be protected for longer by the electricity and gas price brake.
“The expectation of politicians is very clear that the energy price brakes will be extended until at least Easter 2024,” said Pop of the Funke media group. “If energy prices went up sharply again before winter, consumers would be protected.”
Easter Sunday falls on March 31st in 2024. As things stand at present, the energy price brakes will expire at the end of the year. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) had already spoken out in favor of extending the electricity and gas price brake until Easter. Habeck said at the end of July that this was already being discussed with the EU Commission.
With the electricity and gas price brake, the price for a large part of private household consumption is capped – for electricity at 40 cents per kilowatt hour and for gas at 12 cents per kilowatt hour. According to the most recent calculations by the comparison portal Verivox, the abolition of the energy price brakes would make electricity and gas significantly more expensive on average. However, consumers often have the opportunity to switch to a cheaper provider – with tariffs that are below the price brakes.
