District heating prices: Eon and Hansewerk Natur sued by consumer advice center

District heating prices: Eon and Hansewerk Natur sued by consumer advice center

According to a report by www.schwarzwaelder-bote.de,

The consumer advice center has sued two district heating providers, Eon and Hansewerk Natur, for allegedly illegal price increases. The two companies reject the allegations and emphasize that their prices comply with legal requirements. The consumer advice center considers the price increases to be ineffective because the price change clauses do not meet legal requirements. The lawsuits were filed with the higher regional courts in Schleswig (SH) and Hamm (NRW).

The price increases among district heating providers have recently attracted the attention of the Federal Cartel Office, which is investigating six providers in abuse proceedings for excessive price increases. The authority will in particular examine the specific application of price adjustment clauses.

The lawsuits and the investigation by the Cartel Office could have an impact on the energy market and consumers. If the lawsuits are successful, affected consumers could receive refunds. The Cartel Office's investigation could increase the pressure on district heating providers to examine their price increases more closely and make them more transparent. This could lead to fairer conditions for consumers in the long term.