Electricity and gas will be cheaper for many people in eastern Germany from next year. Several suppliers have already announced that they will reduce their energy prices from January 1, 2026. The most important questions and answers:
Where will the prices for electricity and gas fall?
In addition to the eastern German energy suppliers EnviaM and Mitgas and the municipal supplier Sachsenenergie from Dresden, Stadtwerke Leipzig has now also announced lower prices at the turn of the year, while Stadtwerke Magdeburg has also stated that it plans to do the same. Stadtwerke Erfurt and the Chemnitz-based energy supplier Eins announced on request that they would be adjusting their electricity and gas prices at the beginning of the year.
How much will electricity prices fall?
It depends on the electricity tariff and the region. For private customers of EnviaM, the prices in the basic supply will fall by 5.97 cents gross per kilowatt hour to 31.94 cents. For commercial customers, they will fall to 30.21 cents per kilowatt hour. The average private customer with a consumption of 2,000 kilowatt hours will save 96 euros per year, while commercial customers will pay 333 euros less.
A kilowatt hour of electricity in the basic supply for private customers at Sachsenenergie will cost up to 4.24 cents less gross in future. Customers in Dresden and eastern Saxony will soon pay 35.71 cents gross. With an annual consumption of 2,700 kilowatt hours, that would be up to 91 euros less per year.
And for gas?
Natural gas is also set to become cheaper: For private customers of EnviaM, gas prices will be reduced by 1.07 cents gross per kilowatt hour to 13.07 cents. A household in the basic supply with an annual consumption of 18,000 kilowatt hours will save 160 euros. At Sachsenenergie, this is 0.34 cents gross per kilowatt hour less.
Why is electricity and gas cheaper?
According to the suppliers, the reason for this is the falling cost of energy procurement and grid fees. Sachsenenergie stated that the reduction in grid fees varies greatly depending on the grid area. Gas customers benefited from the abolition of the gas storage levy. The Bundestag passed a corresponding amendment on Thursday.
"The cost components of electricity and gas prices will change at the turn of the year, among other things due to the planned abolition of the gas storage levy and the planned subsidy for transmission network charges for electricity," said a spokesperson for the national energy supplier Eon. The majority of customers can expect lower costs in the coming months.
How do I know if I will soon be paying less?
The new prices apply to the basic supply - i.e. without ongoing price fixing. At EnviaM, the new electricity prices affect around 650,000 customers in the Mitnetz Strom network area in parts of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Brandenburg. Around 50,000 private and commercial customers in the Mitnetz Gas network area will benefit from the new gas prices.
How else can I save money?
"When the days get colder, heating costs rise in many households. Anyone who heats with gas should check their own contract now," advises the Thuringia consumer advice center. Customers should compare prices, keep an eye on notice periods and watch out for hidden costs. "A change of provider or tariff can be worthwhile - especially if you still have a basic supply tariff." A special tariff for electricity is also usually cheaper than the basic supply.
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