The sharp increase in energy costs remains a major issue for the consumer advice center. She will receive more money over the next two years so that she can expand her advisory services.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center will receive more money from the state in the next two years for its advisory work on energy issues. For 2023 and 2024, around 1.6 million euros more than before would be made available each year, with seven million euros each, the consumer advice center reported on Thursday in Düsseldorf.
With the additional money, the consumer advocates want to further expand their digital offerings, among other things. The cooperation at the municipal level in the form of round tables and the training of multipliers are to be expanded, as reported by the board member of the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center, Wolfgang Schuldzinski.
"This year has shown how important consumer protection is in our country," said NRW Consumer Protection Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU). The provision of additional state funds creates the necessary flexibility for the work of the consumer advice center. Consumers could thus get even better advice on specific problems.
The energy expert at the consumer center, Udo Sieverding, said it was important to keep an eye on new legal regulations and developments on the energy market. He pointed out the price increases announced by many basic suppliers at the turn of the year. Around 70 percent of the 123 basic electricity suppliers in NRW would increase their prices, some of them drastically. The average increase is 44 percent. "Even if the gas and electricity price brake that has now been decided protects consumers from tariff increases to a large extent, we remain vigilant," he emphasized.
