Consumers - Consumer advice centers warn of high price burdens in 2024
Despite a recent slowdown in inflation, consumer associations are warning that prices will remain high in 2024. The head of the German consumer association (vzbv), Ramona Pop, told the German Press Agency: "Energy will once again become significantly more expensive for many private households next year."
After the end of the state energy price brakes at the end of the year, consumers would face new burdens such as higher grid fees and rising CO2 prices. People rightly expect the coalition government to compensate them with a climate money.
"Otherwise, the federal government risks gambling away people's trust, especially for the urgently needed energy transition," said Pop. A sample household with a gas consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours would have to pay 162 euros for the CO2 price next year instead of 110 euros this year. Pop explained: "Almost half of Germany's economic output is attributable to private consumption." When people feel insecure or overwhelmed, they hold back. "That doesn't do much for the economy either."
Consumers feel left in the lurch
In particular, galloping food prices continue to cause many people problems. "A healthy, varied and sustainable diet should not be a question of money in Germany," warned Pop. However, consumers felt let down by constantly rising prices in the supermarket. The federal government must bring all relevant players to the table for a "price summit" and work out possible courses of action.
This includes ensuring greater price transparency and providing relief for those who already don't know how to make ends meet on a low income. "It is absolutely unclear how prices for certain foods are made up and who ends up making how much profit," criticized the consumer advocate.
In an online survey commissioned by the association, 55% said they had adjusted their purchasing behavior due to the high cost of living. According to the survey, 25% said that they were able to cover the increased cost of living from their own income. Eleven percent said they were using savings, while 5 percent said they were borrowing money or taking out a loan.
According to the Eye Square Institute, 1,000 people aged 16 and over who use the internet took part in the survey from November 13 to 20.
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- The consumer center in Berlin also echoes the warnings about high price burdens in 2024, with food prices being a major concern.
- The rise in energy prices, particularly after the end of the state energy price brakes, is expected to impact Berlin households significantly next year.
- Ramona Pop, the head of the German consumer association, urges the Federal Government to address these issues, stating that failing to do so could harm people's trust in the energy transition.
- In Berlin, like in the rest of Germany, consumers are feeling the pinch of galloping food prices, which are making a healthy, varied, and sustainable diet increasingly challenging.
- The German Press Agency reported that Pop called for a "price summit" with all relevant players to discuss possible solutions, including greater price transparency and relief for low-income households.
- According to a survey commissioned by the consumer association, 55% of Berliners have adjusted their purchasing behavior due to high living costs, with 11% resorting to borrowing money or taking out loans.
- The energy prices in Germany, including in Berlin, are closely tied to the country's energy transition, making it crucial for the government to navigate this turn of the year transition effectively to avoid inconveniencing consumers further.
Source: www.stern.de
