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The Association of Swiss Electricity Companies expects electricity prices to rise by an average of twelve percent next year. This calls the Foundation for Consumer Protection into action.
Vacuum cleaning, boiling water or charging the cell phone. You will probably have to pay more for this next year. The Association of Swiss Electricity Companies estimates that electricity prices will rise by an average of twelve percent. He came to this conclusion after a survey of Swiss electricity suppliers. Electricity prices have already increased by an average of 27 percent this year.
consequence of the energy crisis
The reason for the higher tariffs is the energy crisis. The electricity prices on the wholesale market rose massively in 2021, among other things due to higher fuel and CO₂ prices, historically low levels in the gas storage facilities and power plant failures and shutdowns. With the war in Ukraine and the drought across Europe, the already tense price situation worsened and reached historic highs in August 2022.
The Director of the Association of Swiss Energy Companies, Michael Frank, says: “Today’s wholesale prices are massively higher than before the energy crisis. Prices for quarter one in 2024 are about twice as high. As a result, you have to shop for basic supplies at higher prices if you shop in the fall or today. This leads to rising prices.”
accusation of rip-off
The Consumer Protection Foundation is critical of the increase in electricity prices. These are not justified, says Managing Director Sara Stalder: “You can see that the legislation is not good in these extraordinary times of crisis. This means that the electricity companies can make substantial profits from electricity trading. At the same time, they rip off ordinary citizens, the captive clientele.” The Consumer Protection Foundation therefore demands that politicians must take measures to protect the population from higher electricity prices.
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Next year, electricity will be 12 percent more expensive on average. (icon picture)
KEYSTONE / CHRISTIAN BEUTLER
The Association of Swiss Electricity Companies denies these allegations. The electricity companies have little room for maneuver when setting electricity prices, says Frank: “Customers in the basic supply have tariffs that are regulated by the state. These consist of the production costs of domestic production or, if you do not produce the electricity yourself, of the procurement costs that have to be paid on the market. Nothing can be optimized on the hump of basic-supply customers».
Vacuum cleaning, boiling water and charging the smartphone: How much more all of this will actually cost in the future will become apparent at the beginning of September. Then the definitive electricity prices for the next year will be announced.