Biggest utility E.ON has increased its capacity to handle calls from consumers who are shocked to discover how much their energy bills have risen in recent months. Gas prices in Europe are very high and electricity prices in many countries, including Germany, have reached record levels this summer after Russia choked off gas supplies to Europe and shut down the main pipeline indefinitely natural gas export to Germany, Nord Stream, earlier this month. “Some become aggressive out of frustration, others cry and need psychological support,” Ingbert Liebing, head of local utility VKU, told Reuters, commenting on the sharp increase in customer calls to utility service centers. On top of already high energy bills, German customers will be charged extra from October under a government plan to implement a so-called consumer gas levy to help struggling energy companies. Germany recently announced that it will impose a gas tax on consumers from October 1 to March 2024 as it aims to help energy providers and gas importers struggling with low supplies of Russian gas and very expensive alternatives. solutions for Russian gas. The new gas tax is set to cost German families, who will have to foot the bill for the tax, an extra $500 a year. Meanwhile, the German government is in talks with Germany’s largest natural gas importer, Uniper, to possibly increase the company’s 30 percent stake to a majority stake or nationalize the company. The German government agreed in July to a $15 billion rescue package to help the energy giant, which has been rocked by reduced Russian gas supplies and soaring non-Russian gas prices. Under the package, the German government bought a 30% stake in Uniper and provided further funds to help the company. “Uniper’s deteriorating operating environment and financial situation must be taken into account while Fortum, the German government and Uniper continue their discussions on a long-term solution for Uniper,” Uniper’s parent company, Fortum, said in a statement. Finland, in a statement earlier. this week.
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