Electricity prices set in January and February at least 622 utilities by an average 7.1 percent in Berlin, December 28, 2010 for the majority of consumers in Germany of the electricity and gas supply is again considerably more expensive in the coming year. According to current surveys of the independent consumer portal toptarif.de (www.toptarif.de) have made so far 622 provider specific electricity price increase for 2011 up to 19.4 percent. Also the gas plan nearly 90 companies to raise their prices in January and February by up to 22 percent. The upcoming wave of price, more than 30 million households are affected, alone facing rising electricity costs, because in addition to numerous public utilities more expensive their tariffs at the turn of the year, also the large utilities RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall. In the context of the price increases announced for 2011, the cost for a four-person sample budget with an annual consumption of 4,000 rise kWh of electricity to 7.1 per cent, or 68 euros, at the top even by up to 178 euros.

When the gas must affected households at an annual quantity of 20,000 kWh expect up to 255 euro average cost of 7.4 percent or 96 euros, at the top. “Corporations justify current price increase with increase in EEG assessment with regard to the current wave of boost argue the power companies with the sharply higher levy to the promotion of renewable energies, whose cost increases would be passed on to the final customer”, explains Daniel Dodt by toptarif.de (www.toptarif.de). In the Middle the announced price increases in terms of the growth of the renewable energy levy move.” A look at the details of the price changes, however, shows that the reactions of the companies vary widely. While 341 companies only partially pass the increase of renewable energy levy on their customers, the price increases are at 137 providers sometimes clearly about the additional costs of the levy.