Consumers in southern States, Saxony and the City-States by price increases affected Berlin, February 18, 2010 electricity prices in Germany remain 2010 their uptrend continue faithful. According to a recent analysis of the independent consumer portal toptarif.de has already in the first months of the year made about one-third of all German electricity price changes or planned for the coming weeks. In most cases, the electricity for the consumer this is considerably more expensive. So, around 280 utilities have announced since January price increases by an average of 5.9 percent. Overall, so far roughly 12 million households are affected by these increases as also large utilities such as E.ON and Vattenfall will require more for their electricity again this year. Prices at more than 50 companies by an average 2.9 percent, as for example in Cologne, Leipzig, Nuremberg and Leverkusen are going down on the other side. In this year’s electricity price developments there are large regional differences”, makes Energy expert Thorsten Bohg by toptarif.de clear.

While in the South of the Republic, in Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, rise in prices at more than 100 suppliers, there are no price changes in the legal base supply tariffs so far in the Saarland. Also in Saxony-Anhalt, E.ON Avacon is so far the only reason provider announced price increases this year. The situation is completely different, however, in neighboring Saxony. More than two-thirds of all local providers have already expensive electricity prices in Dresden, Chemnitz, Zwickau and other regions of the free State or be lifted in the spring”, so Bohg. Only the Leipzig municipal utilities take back its price increase from January due to reduced grid charges and offer cheaper power from April. Significantly more for their electricity consumers in the three city-States pay Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen. Already at the beginning of the year, prices at the local suppliers between four and eight percent were here.

Facing the increased cost of the renewable energy levy to the promotion of renewable energies is to be expected in the course of the year with further price increases for electricity”, warns Bohg. The change provides a way to escape the steadily rising electricity costs, and competitive electricity suppliers. Typically, a family of four through a provider change compared to the best choice rates of the local utility can save annually around 150 euros. The more expensive tariffs of basic services are on average even 250 euro over the offers of alternative competitors. Consumer portals such as toptarif.de (www.toptarif.de) or free service hotline 0800-10 30-499 can quickly and easily find out about alternatives in their region consumer and free switch to electricity and gas providers. Current data material can be provided like this press release upon request. toptarif.de is the independent consumer portal of the Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, for all common tariffs in Germany. It includes the categories of electricity, gas, Internet, currently Investments and insurance for legal protection, furniture, residential, private liability, car, keepers liability and is constantly expanded and updated. The consumer can thereby with minimal free checking, whether there are cheaper rates for him, and, where appropriate, immediately change. The complete service of change of is completely free of charge for the consumer and the customer receives the original conditions of the provider, in some cases over toptarif.de in any case even additional, not available from the provider themselves bonuses and discounts.