Press Releases - 31.01.2023
2022 was about 11 percent warmer than 2021
Nevertheless, there was a significant increase in room heating costs for oil & gas compared to the previous year
The north records the highest additional consumption
Eschborn, January 31, 2023 – Consumers in Germany will most likely have to prepare themselves for high additional payments. This is the result of assessments by the energy service provider Techem. The reason for this is the massive increase in the cost of fossil energy in 2022, as shown by the figures provided by the Federal Statistical Office. What has already been publicly predicted means in concrete terms, according to data analysis by Techem, that oil prices have increased by 83.8 percent year-on-year, and gas prices by 67.6 percent. Despite a warmer year overall in 2022 (11.4 percent) compared to 2021, the cost curve shows a clear upward trend. This is reflected above all in heating costs. Across Germany, residents will face increased prices for oil (62.8 percent) and gas (48.5 percent). The massive rate of inflation gives an idea of what residents should be prepared for in 2023: high additional payments.
Regional differences discernible
In the regions around Mannheim or Düsseldorf, there are signs of a significant drop in energy consumption. Along the Neckar and Rhine rivers, this leads to an average 15 percent reduction in consumption of room heating. But significant reductions compared to the previous year’s level can also be seen near cities like Lahr in the Black Forest (16 percent) or Kempten in Allgäu (14.6 percent).
The opposite is true in the north, however. Here, residents can reckon with the highest additional payments for oil and gas. Parts of the north, such as Schleswig, Cuxhaven or Kiel-Holtenau, will face additional costs for natural gas of almost 60 percent on average. “Our heating cost forecast clearly shows that tenants will be confronted with a partly drastic additional burden in the upcoming heating cost bill this year. Even though mild temperatures and an increasing willingness on the part of landlords and tenants to implement energy-saving measures have helped to reduce energy consumption, the price trend for fossil fuels, in particular, is leading to a massive increase in costs,” explains Techem CEO Matthias Hartmann. “Nevertheless: saving energy remains the order of the day. Smart technologies, in particular, such as the digital measurement of energy flows or continuous heating monitoring, can support this. By creating awareness of one’s own energy consumption, they form the basis for optimizing user behavior. This alone can save up to 15 percent of energy consumption and the associated costs.”
The level of the last third of the year shows clear deviations from the previous year
In comparison, the degree-day figures show that the period September through December 2022 was 3.4 percent warmer than the same period in 2021. The price trends for natural gas and heating oil for these periods, when combined with the degree-day numbers, show a 106 percent increase in the resulting heating costs for homes served by heating oil and a 99 percent increase for those served by gas. Looking at the price trend for natural gas over 2022, it is clear that the price increase over 2021 was still around 50 percent in January, but had exceeded a value of 100 percent by October.
The basis for this consumption forecast is a comparison of degree-day figures based on temperature data from the German Weather Service for the years 2021 to 2022, as well as data from the Federal Statistical Office on natural gas and heating oil prices in the period in question. Whether additional costs will be incurred by citizens and the amount of these costs can be determined once the accounts have been prepared.
About Techem
Techem is a leading service provider for smart and sustainable buildings. The company's services cover energy management and resource conservation, residential health and process efficiency in real estate. Founded in 1952, the company is now active in 18 countries with around 4,300 employees and services more than 13 million homes. Techem offers efficiency improvements along the entire value chain of heat and water in real estate. As the market leader in remote radio detection of energy consumption in homes, Techem continues to drive networking and digital processes in real estate. Modern radio smoke detectors with remote inspection and services related to improving drinking water quality in properties complement the solution portfolio for the housing industry. For more information, visit www.techem.com/corp/en.
