Latest news with #FederalNetworkAgency
Local Germany
30-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
How Germany's electricity tariff rules are changing from June
From June 6th, customers who change electricity providers in Germany will their supply switched over within 24 hours. This comes as the result of a change to the EU's Energy Industry Act, and it's intended to increase competition in the market and protect consumers, according to the Lower Saxony Consumer Advice Centre. Here's what the change means for you: Following the rule change on June 6th, if you change electricity tariffs, the switch must be carried out within 24 hours (excluding Sundays). For household consumers this means that if you switch from one provider to another, you can expect your new provider to start delivering your energy almost immediately. However, the new legislation does not allow you to unilaterally terminate or shorten an existing contract with an electricity provider. How does a faster switch support consumers? According to the Federal Network Agency, until now making such a switch took eight or nine days on average, and sometimes as long as three weeks. During the interim period before a new tariff kicks in, consumers were often left paying a higher price for 'basic supply' electricity. (The basic supply ( Grundversorgung) tariff is intended to make sure no one is left without energy if they fail to secure a contract with a supplier, but it tends to cost far more than the prices set in one- or two-year contracts arranged with electricity providers.) READ ALSO: How to reduce your household electricity bill in Germany this year Shortening the period that customers are left consuming basic supply energy will therefore save them some money. Advertisement What are the disadvantages for consumers? In addition to mandating a 24 hour changeover, the new rules are set to end the possibility of retroactive registration and deregistration. So going forward you must plan your energy contract changeovers in advance, and set them up for a future date. This may cause inconveniences for anyone moving house who forgets to deregister in good time. READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in June 2025 Also, Elisabeth Aßmann of the Lower Saxony Consumer Advice Centre warns that with the new rules in place consumers should be more cautious when offered a new electricity contract at their front door or over the phone: 'If the change of supplier has to be completed within 24 hours … an unwanted contract will also take effect more quickly.' Bear in mind, however, that consumers will continue to have the right to cancel contracts concluded in this way up to 14 days after signing. According to EU rules, all member states need to enact these changes to there electricity supply regulations by January 1st, 2026. Germany's Federal Network Agency hopes that implementing the directive ahead of time will give electricity providers in the country enough time to put the necessary processes in place so that demand wont be disrupted. With reporting by DPA.
The Star
27-05-2025
- General
- The Star
German mobile phone users to troubleshoot last coverage dead spots
Germany's mobile phone networks have improved significantly in recent years, but the last spots of poor coverage remain in both urban and rural areas. — AFP Relaxnews DUSSELDORF: Mobile phone owners across Germany are urged in the coming days to support an initiative to locate and report the last dead spots in network reception. Organised by the federal, state and local governments, the first nationwide mobile phone measurement week is to start on Monday and run until next Sunday. Citizens should use the Federal Network Agency's free broadband measurement app to help close the last of the infamous gaps in coverage that have long frustrated callers and Internet users. "Together we will create an up-to-date picture of network availability – and thus provide a database for better mobile coverage overall," said Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger. Germany's mobile phone networks have improved significantly in recent years, but the last spots of poor coverage remain in both urban and rural areas. Last year, a mobile phone measurement week of this kind was already organised in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. – dpa
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Record number of complaints about Germany's postal service
Germany's postal service has received more complaints about lost, delayed or damaged items than ever before. Deutsche Post received around 420,000 complaints last year, its parent company DHL announced on Saturday. Germany's Federal Network Agency had received around 39,500 complaints related to Deutsche Post in 2024, but under a new law, the group was required for the first time to provide information on complaints that it had received directly. While the number of complaints is high, it represents 0.003% of the approximately 14 billion letters and parcels the group delivered in 2024. The difference between this figure and the figure given by the network agency may also be due to the fact that not every consumer contacted the agency directly, but first expressed their displeasure to the post office. The proportion of complaints from other German parcel delivery companies was higher: DPD, for example, reported 0.11% and GLS 0.1% – that means that one in every 1,000 parcels led to a complaint. However, the figures are not directly comparable because Deutsche Post's complaint rate of 0.003% of the total also includes letters, which traditionally result in fewer complaints than parcels. Deutsche Post said that while the proportion of complaints was very low, it regretted every single case, but added that "it can never be completely ruled out that a company with 187,000 employees and around 50 million items of mail processed every day will not make mistakes." A company spokesman said that the company wanted to improve.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's solar expansion to slow down after 2024 peak, agency says
China's expansion of solar energy systems is set to slow down for the first time in six years, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) said at a conference on Thursday. The CPIA said it expects an increase of between 215 gigawatts and 255 gigawatts in output this year. Last year, China installed 277.57 gigawatts of new solar cell capacity, surpassing the record set in 2023 of 216.3 gigawatts. China is the world leader in solar expansion, far exceeding countries like Germany, which added around 16 gigawatts to its capacity in 2024, according to its main infrastructure authority, the Federal Network Agency. However, the Chinese solar industry suffered setbacks last year, with oversupply causing manufacturers to incur losses, while countries such as the United States imposed high tariffs on cheap solar cells to protect their domestic companies. Experts attribute the slowdown in part to a new price model, which is causing uncertainty among manufacturers and investors. From June 1, market forces are to determine the prices producers receive for their electricity from renewable energies. The association expects an increase in new installations again from 2026.
Bloomberg
12-02-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
German Coal Operator Sues Regulator Over Plants' Standby Status
German utility Steag GmbH said it's suing the country's energy regulator for putting its coal-fired power plants on standby instead of switching them off entirely. The lawsuit comes after the Federal Network Agency ordered Essen-based Steag to keep the units in a so-called grid reserve to cover electricity shortages. The utility lodged a complaint against the agency last year, saying the stations are unprofitable as they can't participate in the daily power market.
