Dhe share of taxes in the price of electricity in Germany has fallen significantly since the end of the EEG surcharge last year. While taxes, surcharges and levies were the biggest electricity price driver for almost ten years and accounted for more than half of the electricity price, the share is currently only 29 percent, as an evaluation of the comparison portal Verivox shows, which is available to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“The reason for the significantly reduced state share is the elimination of the EEG surcharge last year,” said Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox. In 2018, the state share of the electricity price in Germany was just under 57 percent. With the EEG surcharge levied until July 2022, consumers had financed the expansion of renewable energies.
However, compared to other European countries, Germans still pay very high taxes and duties for electricity. The taxes are only higher in Denmark and Poland, each at 38 percent. The average in the 27 EU countries is 15 percent.
29 percent of the electricity bill goes to the state
A three-person household that consumes 4000 kilowatt hours per year pays around 1583 euros per year for electricity at a current price of just under 40 cents per kilowatt hour. Of this, 350 euros (22 percent) are accounted for by network usage fees, 777 euros and thus almost half (49 percent) goes to the suppliers for procurement, margin and sales. According to Verivox, taxes, duties and levies make up 29 percent of the electricity price at 456 euros.
Storck pointed out that a lower tax burden does not mean lower electricity prices at the same time: “Although the end of the EEG had a price-dampening effect, the high procurement costs more than eat up the relief,” he said.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the general inflation rate in July was 6.2 percent. Electricity was therefore 17.6 percent more expensive than in the same month last year.
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