The drastic increase in energy prices is reflected in the ancillary costs of rented apartments.

That is why the municipal ABG Holding in Frankfurt has increased the advance payments for apartments with central gas heating by 110 percent.

In the case of district heating, the increase is somewhat lower at 90 percent.

We only pass on what we have to pay for ourselves," says ABG Managing Director Frank Junker, defending this approach against criticism from tenant protection groups.

Even tenants from other companies cannot avoid the higher costs.

The private Vonovia is expecting an increase in heating costs of 65 percent, Nassauische Heimstätte/Wohnstadt (NHW) is assuming 60 percent.

While Vonovia tenants can adjust their advance payment themselves in an app, ABG has actively announced higher discounts.

"It's in the interest of the tenants," says Junker.

Because otherwise there would be a “rude awakening” with the utility bill in 2024 because high additional payments are to be expected.

The homestead, which adjusted the heating cost deduction in September, argues similarly.

Discount "unreasonably high"

Conny Petzold from the association “Tenants help tenants” considers the advance payment requirement from the ABG to be “unreasonably high” and calls on tenants not to respond.

"A lot of people just don't know how to pay their energy bills," she says.

There is also no legal basis for the ABG's actions.

Junker contradicts this with reference to relevant laws.

However, if a tenant does not want to make the higher advance payment, he can stick to the old advance payments, but must expect high additional claims.

The ABG managing director emphasizes that at some point the money that the company advances to energy suppliers for the tenants will have to be paid.

In the entire group, the higher heating costs accounted for a sum of 25 million euros in the next year.

The ABG negotiated comparatively favorable conditions with Mainova.

The purchase price for gas has risen from six cents per kilowatt hour to around twelve cents.

That is exactly the limit from which the federal government wants the gas price brake to take effect next year.

A tenant will therefore never pay less.

Unless he reduces his consumption, which most housing associations recommend with energy-saving tips.

Most tenants will only benefit from the "December Aid" with which the federal government is reducing heating costs when the next utility bill is issued.

At the housing company GWH, however, tenants in December will not have to pay the increase in advance payments that took place in the summer.

If you move in later, you can reduce the amount by 25 percent.

ABG, Heimstätte and GWH had announced weeks ago that no tenant would be fired if he could not pay the heating costs.

A Vonovia spokesman also said on Friday: "Nobody loses their roof over their heads because of higher heating costs."