Financial expert warns: Many customers pay gas and electricity discounts that are too high

Financial expert warns: Many customers pay gas and electricity discounts that are too high

According to a report from www.tagesschau.de, the energy price brake has already come into force, but many consumers are still waiting for their energy suppliers to recalculate their gas or electricity discounts. The discounts are often set too high. Holgerschneidewindt from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center comments on the topic in an interview.

According toschneidewindt, most of the cases that the consumer advice center's advisors are confronted with are due to the fact that the energy suppliers' information letters about the amount and calculation of the deductions were not sent in a timely manner. When consumers do receive a letter, they often have the impression that something is wrong because the deductions have not decreased sufficiently or are even higher than before. In some cases, utilities are even demanding significantly higher discounts than before. This leads to alarming situations for consumers.

According toschneidewindt, the energy suppliers are responsible for recalculating the deduction height and have all the necessary data and information for this. However, if consumers notice that something is wrong, they should contact their provider and ask them to recalculate the deductions. Especially in cases where the discounts have increased significantly, consumers should ask why this is the case. Discounts are expected to decrease, not increase.

The expert expresses the suspicion that energy suppliers may be including inadmissible claims in the advance payments. However, it is not the responsibility of consumers to make assumptions or conduct research to determine the cause of high markdowns. Instead, energy suppliers should inform consumers about the amount and calculation of the discounts.

In order to defend themselves against unauthorized billing or discounts,schneidewindt advises consumers to invest a little more time and energy. You should carefully check the information letter on the implementation of the energy price cap and, if in doubt, seek advice from consumer advice centers. If consumers notice that something is wrong, they can contact their energy supplier and ask for an explanation. If there are clear errors, you should also communicate this clearly. It is important to enter into a dialogue with the energy supplier.

As far as the development of tariffs for electricity and gas is concerned,schneidewindt notes that prices on the wholesale markets have been falling for some time. It is to be expected that these price reductions will also be felt by consumers. It is therefore worth comparing prices and changing providers if necessary. However, it is important to check new providers carefully so as not to accept poor conditions. Overall, the industry is moving towards normality, so switching providers can be worthwhile again.

Overall, the article shows that despite the energy price cap, many consumers are still confronted with discounts that are too high. Consumers should therefore critically examine their discounts and, if necessary, contact their supplier to request a recalculation. The prices for electricity and gas are falling on the wholesale markets, so it may be worthwhile for consumers to compare tariffs and, if necessary, switch providers.

Source: According to a report from www.tagesschau.de