Heating costs: This is how district heating customers can save money when prices rise

Do not only the owners, even tenants can benefit from the new legislation. You cannot influence the base price, which, in addition to consumption costs, often, with economic heating, represents about half of the total bill. However, you can ask your landlord to reduce the basic costs for producing heat. By doing so, they can expect Article 556 of the civil code appointed. It establishes that landlords are obliged to act economically and to consider the interests of the tenants.

Lorenz Bücklein believes that the government has a duty to further strengthen consumer rights, because the price components in district heating they are still relatively opaque. “Although soon, following legal changes, we will be obliged to publish price changes in the district heating market more often, but according to studies by our federal association, suppliers are doing too little,” says the energy expert.

True: according to the current provisions of the District Heating Ordinance, utility companies must “publish in an accessible manner on the Internet all price regulations, price adjustment clauses and price components”. But the Federal Consumer Center Association Survey shows that 18% of companies do not post any prices online. For 34 percent of heating networks, the pricing information is incorrect or incomplete.