The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) presented new survey results on the burden placed on German households during the energy price crisis today. The results show that 44 percent of households felt very or somewhat burdened by the rise in electricity prices since the fall of 2021. A large majority of 86 percent also considered further relief from the German government in the area of energy to be necessary.
For this household-representative survey, forsa was commissioned by vzbv to conduct computer-assisted telephone interviews with a total of 1,001 German-speaking individuals responsible for energy decisions, aged 18 years and older, between April and May 2023.
These are further details:
- Electricity prices, which have risen since the fall of 2021, are a strong or very strong burden on 44 percent of German households. 51 percent of households that heat or cook with gas felt strongly or very strongly burdened by higher gas prices. For 37 percent of these households, both gas and electricity price increases were equally burdensome.
- An overwhelming majority (86 percent) of households considered further energy relief necessary, sometimes under certain conditions. Households at risk of poverty particularly saw the need for additional relief (44 percent).
- A quarter of households (25 percent) saw general relief as necessary, while 17 percent saw it as necessary only if energy prices continued to rise.
- By the beginning of May 2023, 40 percent of households received financial relief from measures such as rebates or lower monthly down payments. Of these, 40 percent felt noticeable relief, while 52 percent did not. 56 percent of households reported receiving no financial relief.
Irina Krüger, vzbv referent in market monitoring, noted: "Consumers continue to feel burdened despite the price brakes. People still have financial worries because of the energy price crisis."
Source: vzbv
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