Anyone who signs a new energy contract now costs about 20 percent more than six months ago. Prices are rising rapidly, partly due to the increased demand for gas.
According to comparison site gaslicht.com, electricity has become 22 percent more expensive, gas 19 percent. This brought an end to the period when gas and electricity were relatively cheap due to the corona crisis.
An average household that now signs an energy contract is 125 euros more expensive than four months ago, the comparison site shows. People with a variable contract may start to notice on July 1 if the rates are adjusted.
Prolonged cold
According to energy company Vattenfall, the increase in energy prices is related to the cold weather in Europe. “The gas market has become a lot tighter due to the prolonged cold in recent months. Little gas is available due to, among other things, gas stocks that are almost empty and a limited supply of LNG to Europe. Due to the low availability of gas, gas prices are rising” , energy expert Tobias Frankema writes site from the company.
Comparison site Easyswitch.nl also points to oil production that has been scaled back due to the corona crisis. “The current corona easing has gotten SMEs back on track, the economy is picking up again and demand for oil and gas is on the rise again. In order to meet the increasing demand, oil production must be increased again,” said Tom Schlagwein of that site. .
In addition, the price on the market for CO2 emission rights is increasing. Producers have to buy these rights in order to be able to generate electricity in power plants. Energy companies pass these higher costs on to their customers.
Heating on
The energy bill is an important cost item for households. The CBS calculated At the beginning of this year, a household spends more than 1500 euros per year on its energy bill.
Because households turn on the heating for longer this spring than in other years and due to increased energy prices, it is likely that this amount will increase this year.
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