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From George Moeritz
Chemnitz. The electricity market is on the move: since energy prices rose sharply a year and a half ago and some retailers went out of business, most municipal utilities no longer advertised different tariffs. New customers generally had to pay the expensive basic supply tariff - often more than 40 cents per kilowatt hour until the state put the brakes on electricity prices at this level. But now suppliers are courting consumers again. Envia-M based in Chemnitz, announced a "limited offer" on Wednesday.
The East German energy supplier with more than 1.3 million customers wants to introduce a pricing model called "Naturstrom von hier" for around 1,000 households. The company announced that customers would be able to buy "regional electricity" from renewable energies from plants in Saxony. In this case, the electricity comes from three wind turbines in the districts of Central Saxony, Zwickau and the Erzgebirgskreis.
It is not technically possible to allocate individual portions of electricity from a specific wind turbine to a specific apartment elsewhere in Saxony. However, Envia-M promises customers proof of origin for the electricity supplied, so that the quantity supplied is actually generated by the wind turbines in question. The certificate should state which wind turbine is the source.
Green electricity is offered with a 50 euro bonus
The company does not specify the price in its press release. However, prices can be called up on the company's website if a location and quantity are entered. For example, a household in Waldheim with an annual consumption of 2,500 kilowatt hours would have to pay 43.02 cents per kilowatt hour for "Naturstrom von hier". The basic price per month is also 12.09 euros. When asked by sächsische.de, a company spokeswoman said that consumption prices "vary greatly depending on where you live". This also depends on taxes and grid fees. She could not give a range.
With the contract, the customer commits to this electricity tariff for an "initial term" of twelve months. In return, Envia-M offers him a bonus of 50 euros. For a purchase of 2,500 kilowatt hours, according to the information on the website, the monthly payment for the Waldheim example is €101.71, with the bonus already deducted. This is more than the "Mein Strom best" tariff, which has a contract term of 24 months, but slightly less than the price for the basic supply. There, Envia-M currently charges 43.51 cents per kilowatt hour. Due to the electricity price cap at 40 cents, the state pays 3.51 cents for 80 percent of the electricity.
At Price comparisons on the Internet customers should note that a bonus such as the 50 euros from Envia-M only has a one-off effect. They should also compare the term and notice periods - you should not be tied to an expensive electricity tariff for long. Basic supply contracts can be terminated with two weeks' notice.
Envia-M announces dynamic tariffs
The Eon Group recently announced that it would be lowering prices for millions of its customers in September. These customers have already been informed. Envia-M is partly owned by the Eon Group, but also by eastern German cities and municipalities. Envia-M has reduced electricity and gas prices in July. However, they are still above the state price brakes. Sachsen-Energie in Dresden, with its Drewag and Enso brands, had announced that it would not be lowering its electricity prices for the time being, especially as they are lower than those of its neighbor Envia-M and are generally below 40 cents per kilowatt hour.
Envia-M is going even further in testing its customers: in addition to the new electricity tariff for wind power enthusiasts, the East German company has already announced "dynamic tariffs". They are not yet available, but interested parties can register for them on the website. They will then receive "exclusive information" even before the new tariff is available for booking.
The dynamic prices under this model are to be based on the exchange price and vary throughout the day. Customers can then adjust their electricity consumption and, for example, switch on the washing machine when the price is slightly lower. The setting options for such dynamic tariffs The Dresden-based software company Kiwigrid, for example, is working.
In future, electricity prices will increasingly depend on whether there is a lot of solar and wind power available or whether expensive gas-fired power plants need to be put into operation. This is also likely to become important for owners of electric cars who want to charge their batteries at certain times or even sell the electricity from the battery back into the power grid when they don't need the car for a while.
