Austrian energy consumers pay hundreds more with regional suppliers

Austrian households are paying significantly more for energy by sticking with their regional suppliers, according to an analysis by the online platform tarife.at. The study compared prices from regional providers with those of alternative suppliers, revealing that alternative options were cheaper in 678 out of 693 comparisons.

On average, a household consuming 7,500 kWh of electricity annually paid an extra 454 euros per year by staying with their regional supplier. The analysis highlights that the energy price component, which constitutes about half of a household's total bill, is the only part consumers can influence through switching providers. Network charges and taxes remain unaffected by such changes.

Significant regional variations in savings were observed. Households could have saved the most by switching from Salzburg AG (41.4 percent savings), followed by Energie Steiermark (40.4 percent), Burgenland Energie (40.3 percent), and EVN (39.6 percent). At the lower end, TIWAG offered savings of 14.7 percent, and VKW 18.7 percent, with Wien Energie in the middle at 25.9 percent.

The findings suggest that consumers who have consistently switched to the cheapest available provider since the start of 2024 have paid approximately one-third less for electricity and gas compared to those who remained with their regional supplier's most affordable tariff.

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Households that have consistently switched to the cheapest provider since the beginning of 2024 paid, on average, around a third less for electricity and gas prices than those who remained with the cheapest tariff of their regional supplier.