Landlord goes bankrupt

Landlord insolvent due to electricity price: “Can’t earn with beer”

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

A Braunau restaurateur has become known for his "weekend surcharge" for employees. Now he has filed for bankruptcy. He blames the energy supplier in particular, who "wouldn't let him out of a contract". However, the pub is to remain open.

"You can't earn that with schnitzel and beer. I've said that to my contact at Energie AG several times. That's just the way it is now." - The feisty and creative Braunau restaurateur Jochen Reumüller has filed for insolvency. "It just doesn't work out any more and there is virtually no concession, they insist that the contract runs until the end of 2024," says the Tafelspitz and pasta kitchen host, who had changed his floating contract, which had exploded in price at the time, during the Ukraine crisis. "The prices have since gone down further, but I'm still paying the high price" - between 5,000 and 6,000 euros for electricity per month.

"Only paid for the bare essentials"
"I only paid the bare minimum, there were also deferrals," says Reumüller, who is now also deeply in debt to the tax office and health insurance company. According to his own statement, these debts amount to around 140,000 euros, and the landlord has pulled the emergency brake. "There is a liquidator and we are assuming a 20 percent quota," says the landlord, who is still open for business.

"Insolvency is an indictment of our actions"
"Nothing should change for our guests, they have also accepted that we charge ten percent more at weekends so that we can pay our employees better." The insolvency is also an open indictment of the actions of energy suppliers.

Energie AG responded as follows:
 "Our customer advisor was in constant contact with Mr. Reumüller. Mr. Reumüller concluded a long-term product on 23.3.22, which is still valid. Unfortunately, the contract was concluded at a time when prices were very high and the further development was not foreseeable."

Gives aid program
And further: "For Mr. Reumüller, however, the Energy Cost Subsidy II aid program, which the government has set up to support such companies in a difficult phase, is also an option." They had made advance payments with the contract and procured the quantities for the defined periods according to the contract specifically for this individual contract.