After Salzburg AG’s electricity price increase in 2022 and 2023, the Chamber of Labor (AK) threatened to sue. Now the energy supplier has given in: customers will get up to 500 euros back. The AK is also taking legal action against electricity price increases in Upper Austria and Tyrol.
In February, the Salzburg Chamber of Labor (AK). Legal opinion submitted: The electricity price increases by Salzburg AG are not sufficiently justified and are illegal. According to the Chamber of Labor, there was a lack of transparency: the price increases were not sufficiently understandable for customers. The energy company thereby violated the legal obligation to provide information – the AK threatened to sue. Salzburg AG has now given in: its customers will get up to 500 euros back. Salzburg AG and the Chamber of Labor agreed on this out of court.
AK raises 40 million euros for Salzburg AG customers
There will be no court case after all: the Chamber of Labor has enforced a relief package worth around 40 million euros in an out-of-court settlement with Salzburg AG. This year, the AG will pay back up to 500 euros to its customers for whom the electricity price brake did not cover their full consumption.
Especially in times of record inflation, it was important to me that the measures contain social components, have an inflation-dampening effect and take place promptly. The threatened lawsuit is therefore off the table,” said AK President Peter Eder.
Since June 1, 2023, there has also been a new electricity tariff that will save Salzburg residents a total of 105 million euros.
Who gets money back from Salzburg AG because electricity is too expensive?
Households for which the federal government’s electricity price brake does not apply particularly benefit from the package. These are those customers who have an annual electricity consumption of over 2,900 kilowatt hours – around 30 percent of private customers.
The grant is staggered and amounts to between 100 and 170 euros. Households that heat with electricity can also get between 150 and 500 euros back. The basis for the calculation is the most recently billed annual consumption. Customers with hot water boilers can also get between 100 and 250 euros back. The repayment takes place automatically if customers have provided their bank details – the energy company writes to everyone else themselves. The money will be paid out by November 2023. Further information is available here.
Further measures for cheaper electricity
In the next few years, Salzburg AG wants to have one with the help of the AK, which is contributing 2 million euros Build a photovoltaic system. This project will be implemented in the next few years and a suitable area is currently being sought. The electricity produced will be delivered to low-income households. There should also be 30 electricity Fridays per year, which will provide further relief of around 20 million euros.
Because the state government only watched the development of electricity prices, AK boss Eder became active and relied on negotiations with the state energy supplier, said Salzburg’s SPÖ leader David Egger.
Other federal states are also demanding money back for electricity that is too expensive
In Upper Austria, pressure has also increased on Governor Stelzer (ÖVP) to reduce the prices of the state-owned energy company as quickly as possible. At least that’s what the SPÖ Upper Austria demands. Here too, the Chamber of Labor was successful and was able to enforce an out-of-court settlement: all regular customers receive a one-off payment – depending on their consumption in the previous year – of 25, 50 or 100 euros. At that time, Energie AG also announcedto significantly reduce prices.
The Tyrol Chamber of Labor also submitted a legal opinion in February in which it criticized the non-transparent information letters about the electricity price increases there from TIWAG (Tiroler Wasserkraft AG). However, both parties were unable to reach an agreement out of court. It occurs in mid-October and mid-December Process. He should clarify whether the price increase was legal.
2023-09-25 15:01:06
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