DRESDEN/MAGDEBURG/ERFURT (dpa-AFX) - Electricity and gas will become cheaper for many people in eastern Germany starting next year. Several suppliers have already announced that they will lower their energy prices on January 1, 2026. The most important questions and answers:
Where will electricity and gas prices fall?
In addition to the East German energy suppliers EnviaM and Mitgas and the municipal utility Sachsenenergie from Dresden, Stadtwerke Leipzig has now also announced lower prices at the turn of the year, and Stadtwerke Magdeburg says it is planning to do the same. Erfurter Stadtwerke and the Chemnitz energy supplier Eins said on request that they would adjust their electricity and gas prices at the beginning of the year.
How much will electricity prices fall?
That depends on the electricity tariff and the region. For EnviaM's residential customers, prices for basic services will fall by 5.97 cents gross per kilowatt hour to 31.94 cents. For commercial customers, they will fall to 30.21 cents per kilowatt hour. The average private customer with a consumption of 2,000 kilowatt hours will save 96 euros per year, while commercial customers will pay 333 euros less.
At Sachsenenergie, the kilowatt hour of electricity in the basic supply for private customers is to cost up to 4.24 cents gross less in the future. Customers in Dresden and eastern Saxony will soon pay 35.71 cents gross. With an annual consumption of 2,700 kilowatt hours, this would mean savings of up to €91 per year.
And for gas?
Natural gas is also set to become cheaper: for EnviaM's private customers, gas prices will be reduced by 1.07 cents gross per kilowatt hour to 13.07 cents. A household with a basic supply and an annual consumption of 18,000 kilowatt hours will save 160 euros as a result. At Sachsenenergie, the reduction will be 0.34 cents gross per kilowatt hour.
Why are electricity and gas becoming cheaper?
According to the suppliers, this is due to declining costs for energy procurement and grid fees. Sachsenenergie announced that the reduction in grid fees would vary greatly depending on the grid area. Gas customers benefited from the elimination of the gas storage surcharge. The Bundestag passed a corresponding amendment on Thursday.
"The cost components of electricity and gas prices will change at the turn of the year, partly due to the planned abolition of the gas storage levy and the planned subsidy for electricity transmission grid fees," said a spokesperson for the national energy supplier Eon. The majority of customers can expect lower costs in the coming months.
How do I know if I will soon be paying less?
The new prices apply to basic services—i.e., without ongoing price fixing. At EnviaM, the new electricity prices affect around 650,000 customers in the Mitnetz Strom network area in parts of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. Around 50,000 private and commercial customers in the Mitnetz Gas network area will benefit from the new gas prices.
How else can I save money?
"As the days get colder, heating costs rise in many households. Anyone who heats with gas should check their contract now," advises the Thuringia Consumer Advice Center. Customers should compare prices, keep an eye on cancellation periods, and watch out for hidden costs. "It may be worth switching providers or tariffs—especially if you still have a basic supply tariff." A special tariff is also usually cheaper than the basic supply for electricity. /hdo/DP/zb
