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Durion23 t1_j409amq wrote

Reply to comment by Broficator in Germany exported more electricity to its neighbours than it imported in 2022, even with an energy crisis at home, thanks to more weather-driven renewable power and greater demand from France by green_flash

To simplify: Because to stimulate the growth of renewable energy and to secure energy accessibility, in the early EU there are several agreements in place for the energy market - for example to always pay the highest price of the energy mix that is currently in use. Cheapest are wind and solar, followed by other renewables, coal, nuclear and finally the most expensive: gas. If energy demand is too high, German gas reactors go live, and even if you’d receive 90% renewables and only 10% gas you’d pay 100% the gas price for all of it.

This is why there are reforms discussed in the EU with the plan to implement them in 2023.

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DasEisgetier t1_j40hhvn wrote

Yeah, I hope they hurry the fuck up, because I can barely afford to keep the fridge running.

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RichardCheeseLicker t1_j40kqiu wrote

You should replace it with a stationery one or cut off the feet. No one needs a running fridge.

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Acoasma t1_j413lak wrote

to be fair gas prices at the market are down to pre war levels, even below that. Not arguing that the market mechanism is fine the way it is, but right now the problem for consumers is when energy providers will pass on those cheaper prices.

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Durion23 t1_j40hwtk wrote

We all do.

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Assmodean t1_j40le9c wrote

Where do you guys live? My electricity bill did increase by quite a bit too but that is just about 25 bucks a month. Statistically, mine was on on the higher end of the increase in Germany, too, so I really don't get the hyperbole.

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SplitToWin t1_j40m5hb wrote

Did the german goverment not pay for the price hike and therefor took a giant deficit?

Not all europeans have their goverment pay for the price increase.

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Assmodean t1_j40o6p7 wrote

Sorry, considering we were talking about German energy prices, my thought was that they were from Germany, too.

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Janni0007 t1_j40th89 wrote

No, they capped it at a high level i think 42 ct per kwh. Prices were at 20 ct before the war

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Durion23 t1_j40zmrj wrote

As it is with all these things: it’s complicated. I’m from Germany, at least. To be very brief: German Gas consumption is rather high per capita, since a lot of our homes are heated with gas only, many of our industries need gas as fuel or ingredient, whether it is for the steel industry or chemical industry and so on. Gas was meant to be a cheap bridge from coal to renewable, but because of some peculiar political decisions, the incentive to lower gas consumption just kicked into effect before the war. And price wise that only became a problem as soon as gas prices exploded and the expectation that gas could be scarce (which ultimately didn’t happen) triggered enormous prices for gas consumption, since our gas tanks are still filled with the expensive gas, even if the price sinks.

And without jeopardizing the economy, private people but the deficit as well, what the German state payed is limited and nowhere near the actually price hike especially low and middle income households are struggling to keep up with.

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