What does the rising CO2 price mean for consumers from 2024? - Financial expert explains the effects and how you can save.

What does the rising CO2 price mean for consumers from 2024? - Financial expert explains the effects and how you can save.

According to a report by utopia.de, the CO2 price in Germany will rise significantly from 2024. This increase has an impact on consumers, particularly in terms of heating costs, fuel prices and garbage fees. The CO2 price on fossil fuels such as gas, oil, gasoline and diesel will increase to 45 euros per ton in 2024 and is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. This leads to higher costs for consumers who heat, refuel or dispose of waste with these energy sources.

The year 2024 brings higher oil, gas and fuel prices as well as higher waste fees. The CO2 price that energy retailers have to pay is passed on to consumers to varying degrees, depending on the energy source and the amount consumed. An example calculation shows that households with gas or oil heating will have to expect additional costs of around 30 to 95 euros in 2024. Landlords and tenants have to share the additional costs, with landlords bearing the greater costs for poorly insulated houses with high energy consumption. Refueling will also be more expensive, probably around 4.3 cents per liter of petrol and 4.7 cents per liter of diesel. Commuters may be able to compensate for the higher fuel prices using the commuter allowance in their tax return.

A CO2 tax on waste will also be introduced in 2024, which may lead to increasing waste disposal costs. The CO2 price does not currently apply to air travel, even though flying causes high CO2 emissions. Instead, the ticket tax for passenger flights is set to rise, which could help more people switch to other modes of transport.

Overall, the increase in the price of CO2 is expected to lead to higher costs for consumers, especially for heating, refueling and waste disposal. It is recommended to switch to sustainable energy sources such as wood pellets, solar thermal energy or heat pumps in order to avoid the CO2 price and at the same time make a contribution to climate protection.