Electricity shortage in Germany comes to a head

Prices for gas and electricity have been literally exploding for months. Now the first electricity providers in Hamburg and Berlin have had to react. Thousands of customers now have to switch to the major supplier Vattenfall.

Supply bottlenecks lead to basic supply

In addition to running water and a functioning heating system, a reliable power supply is also a matter of course for our understanding of appropriate living. However, since last year, warnings from many electricity suppliers that they would no longer be able to supply their customers with sufficient energy have been accumulating. At the beginning of the problem, this was mainly felt by people who went in search of a new electricity provider. They were turned away without further ado. Now, however, the problem also affects existing customers of a total of 38 providers in Berlin and Hamburg. They have to stop supplying thousands of customers without further ado. As a result, the only option left for the people affected is a so-called “basic supply”. The energy company Vattenfall benefits from this. After all, this is considered the basic supplier for the two metropolitan areas.

Juridical consequences for current offerers

Naturally, customers are incensed at their now former provider. After all, the switch to Vattenfall is also accompanied by a cost increase for many. But from the providers’ point of view, the move seems to have been without alternative. After all, they are also suffering from the immense increase in electricity prices. While they were initially able to pass this on to their end customers, for many the only option now is termination. But what legal consequences could the companies now face? After all, there is a supply contract with the customers. This will have to be clarified in detail. Because it is probably doubtless in such a way that now a true complaint wave on the current offerers will roll. Slipping into the basic supply means a lot of additional costs for the customer. From the point of view of politics, it is already undoubtedly a violation of the current contract.

Causes of increased electricity prices

The problem is by no means unique to Germany, but can be observed worldwide. The reason for the increased electricity prices is once again the Corona crisis and its economic consequences. Due to the pandemic situation, many companies had to close their doors. This also affected large production facilities that normally rely on any amount of electricity. In the meantime, however, most of these have been able to resume operations. In the course of this, the demand for electricity also increased, which sent the market into turmoil. Since the price usually rises along with the demand, this led to the immense price increase on the energy market. But there are also reasons for the price increases outside of Corona. For example, for climate protection reasons, a CO² tax must now be paid, which ensures that electricity from fossil fuels is associated with more expensive production.

Brandenburg sues energy supplier

Apparently, it is not only private customers who are incensed by the behavior of electricity providers. In the meantime, for example, the consumer center of the state of Brandenburg has also become involved. This decided to proceed judicially against the offerer “Voxenergie” with seat in Berlin. Reason for the complaint? Voxenergie has increased its electricity prices immensely without prior notice. This is not forbidden overall and is entitled to a offerer naturally. However, the company did not grant its customers a special right of termination, which is normally mandatory in the event of a price increase. Voxenergie itself has not yet commented on the allegations.

Vattenfall sees itself well equipped

The whole story actually has only one winner: Vattenfall. After all, the basic supplier for Berlin and Hamburg can now look forward to new customers in the five-digit range. With the guaranteed basic supply, the company is also earning more money. So things could hardly be better. The energy supplier emphasizes that new customers should not worry about supply bottlenecks. One will be able to provide for the necessary current quantities problem-free. In view of meanwhile 4.2 million customers Germany far everything else would be however also frightening. Customers are also not to be affected by price fluctuations. Vattenfall has already purchased such a large amount of electricity that the price should then return to normal until it is used up.