As much as energy costs have risen recently, the lower electricity sales are pleasing.
If the surcharge under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) falls by a few cents in the coming year, the consumer will certainly appreciate that.
But even with a tax of 3.7 cents instead of 6.5 cents, which subsidizes green electricity, the electricity price in Germany will still be among the front runners in Europe and the rest of the world.
The share of state taxes and charges is around half of the average electricity price for private households in this country, which was recently more than 30 cents per kilowatt hour.
Even if a high price of electricity should encourage people to save energy, what matters for the German economy and its increasing electrification is a low price of electricity - as is the case with the expansion of electromobility.
More climate protection therefore needs, above all, more wind turbines, photovoltaic systems and other eco-energy, together with the significant expansion of power lines across the country.
However, a low electricity price must not be overlooked.
Climate protection costs
An emissions trading system that is as far-reaching as possible helps to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions where it costs the least.
The fact that fossil fuels such as petrol, coal and natural gas will become more expensive in the future should not be delayed, but accepted - this is precisely what brings with it the market economy element of a CO2 price.
This is one of the reasons why it is time for politicians to pay back the income from CO2 pricing to the citizens.
That climate protection will be cheap, however, shouldn't be believed that easily.