District heating cheaper

Prices for household energy have fallen again

The prices for natural gas and district heating have fallen the most.

(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

Household energy prices fell for the tenth month in a row in July. Compared to June, they fell by 0.3 percent. Prices for natural gas fell by 6.9 percent month-on-month. District heating became 0.5 percent cheaper.

The price level was 14% below the historic high in October 2022, but still significantly higher than before the crisis. According to the Energy Agency, energy prices had a dampening effect on the general level of inflation.

Diesel price increased
However, prices at the pumps have recently risen. Diesel prices were 1.8 percent higher than in June, while prices for premium gasoline were 0.9 percent higher. The picture is similar for heating oil, which rose by 1.9 percent month-on-month. In a year-on-year comparison, the increase is 7.2 percent.

A decline can be observed in particular for grid-based energy sources, especially as electricity also became slightly cheaper compared to the previous month (minus 0.4%).

"Compared to petroleum-based energy sources such as fuels and heating oil, changes in wholesale prices for these energy sources are passed on to end customers with a slight delay or attenuation. This phenomenon can be explained by the supply conditions that are contractually agreed between customers and suppliers," says Lukas Zwieb, energy market expert at the Energy Agency.

He advises consumers to check their supply contracts, particularly for natural gas and electricity. When choosing a new contract, however, special attention should be paid to the conditions of discounts and special offers, as these are often only valid for a limited period of time.