- Landlord's Association: Electricity costs too high in the north
The Association of North German Housing Companies has urged politics to quickly find a solution to the significant differences in electricity costs in Germany. "It cannot be that tenants in federal states like Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with a high share of wind energy, have to pay above-average electricity prices," explained association director Andreas Breitner. "We need a cross-state regulation before winter."
Citing the comparison portal Verivox, Breitner pointed to differing electricity costs between the states. For instance, a household in Schleswig-Holstein currently pays an average of 1,850 euros per year in the basic supply, and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 1,849 euros. In Bremen, it's 1,692 euros, in Bavaria 1,710 euros, and in Hesse, 1,735 euros.
In the north, grid fees due to the massive expansion of renewable energy are seen as the main price drivers. Breitner considers it unfair that electricity prices are higher in the north because a lot of wind energy is produced there. "The general political discussion often focuses solely on rents, ignoring energy costs. But for tenants, it makes no difference if rents are lower elsewhere, only to be offset by above-average electricity costs."
The Association of North German Housing Companies includes providers oriented towards the common good, such as many municipal companies and cooperatives.
The urgency to address the disparities in electricity costs, especially the higher prices in regions rich in wind energy like Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, stems from the Association of North German Housing Companies' concern over the 'energy price' issue. In light of this, director Andreas Breitner advocates for a cross-state regulation to mitigate these price differences before winter.
