“385 primary providers increase power prices, 274 lower natural gas prices in 2017”

385 primary power providers have increased their prices since the beginning of the year or announced price hikes within three months, the price comparison website check24 has said in a press release. For standard households with an annual consumption of 5,000 kilowatt hours, prices increased by 3.5 percent on average and sometimes by as much as 14.9 percent, causing the costs for basic services to “almost reach their all-time high from mid-2014,” check24 said. With respect to natural gas, however, “about seven million households benefit from falling prices,” the press release adds. Primary providers on average lowered their prices by 6.3 percent in 2017 or announced decreases by 1 April, the price comparison website has found. “Average prices for natural gas are currently at a historic low,” it said.

Find the press release in German here.

For background, read the CLEW factsheet What German households pay for power.