Such a situation was very rare on the gas market: many retail prices are still low, while wholesale prices have already multiplied.

Anyone who doesn't have a price increase yet will get one - that's for sure.

What is the best thing for gas customers to do with their contract now?

Daniel Mohr

Editor in the economy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

  • Follow I follow

For those who still have the old price, the answer is simple: keep still.

The new customer prices are currently almost always higher than the old inventory prices.

One may speculate that a new gas contract is now in place in order to avoid future price increases – but even with the friendliest tariffs, new price increases can come again in twelve months.

You can also wait months until the unpleasant letter comes from the old gas supplier.

The situation is different for people who have already received a price increase.

You should definitely look around on the common comparison portals.

On the occasion of the price increase, consumers even have a special right of termination.

Three things are important

Anyone looking for a new offer should pay attention to three things.

The first is the price, but that is not the only criterion.

Secondly, it is also important whether the supplier gives a price guarantee that promises, for example, not to raise prices for at least a year.

After all, the customer does not want to run straight into the next price increase after just a few weeks.

But then the third criterion comes directly afterwards: the stability of the provider.

In the past few months, one or two gas and electricity suppliers have gone bankrupt because they had given too generous price guarantees and were now no longer able to buy gas or electricity cheaply enough.

The customers of these insolvent suppliers still got gas and electricity, but often slipped into the expensive basic tariff of the responsible supplier.

That's why they ended up paying a lot of money.

It's a pity: These weeks are not the time to give an up-and-coming start-up a chance.

Instead, there is currently a particular appeal in staying with large, well-known corporations or with other well-known suppliers, such as public utilities, which are unlikely to be bankrupted by their owner communities.

Either way: If you can do that, you should put some money aside for the coming months.

The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, has already warned that some customers will be surprised by high additional payments.

It doesn't hurt to already have a certain buffer in the bank account - and if the additional payment fails, you can always treat yourself to something nice with the money you've held back.

Do you have questions about money?

Please to Daniel

Moor

at fragdenmohr@faz.de