Consumer advice center is suing district heating providers for unacceptable price increases

Consumer advice center is suing district heating providers for unacceptable price increases

According to a report by www.inside-digital.de, the consumer advice center is suing the district heating providers E.ON and HanseWerk Natur due to unacceptable price increases. The price increases implemented since 2020 have resulted in significant financial burdens for consumers. Both E.ON and HanseWerk Natur reject the allegations and explain the high energy prices with cost and market developments.

The price increases by district heating providers have caused massive financial burdens for consumers. In some service areas, consumers paid multiples in 2021 and 2022 of what they paid in 2020. For example, E.ON customers in Erkrath-Hochdahl in North Rhine-Westphalia paid 23.24 cents per kilowatt hour in 2022, compared to 6.18 cents per kilowatt hour in 2020, which resulted in an additional charge of 3,500 euros with an annual consumption of 15,000 kilowatt hours.

The consumer advice center plans to file class action lawsuits against the providers in order to obtain direct refunds for affected consumers. Those affected can soon join the proceedings by entering the lawsuit register of the Federal Office of Justice (BfJ). This enables you to counteract the threat of the claims becoming statute-barred.

The unacceptable price increases by district heating providers can have a significant impact on the market and consumers. The financial burden on consumers leads to dissatisfaction and distrust of providers. In the long term, this could lead to a loss of customers and a weakened brand image for the providers. In addition, such allegations and lawsuits may impact regulatory oversight and public perception of the industry. The consumer advice center's calculations and the planned class action lawsuits will strengthen the position of consumers and show that price manipulation and unacceptable price increases will not be tolerated.

The unacceptable price increases by district heating providers have placed a heavy burden on consumers and led to lawsuits. These developments highlight the importance of transparency and fairness in energy providers' pricing and underscore the need for stringent regulatory oversight to protect consumers' interests.