BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Due to the drop in wholesale prices for electricity and gas, new customer contracts currently tend to be cheaper than existing customer contracts, according to industry experts. This is an incentive to switch, said energy market expert Mirko Schlossarczyk from the consulting firm Enervis to the German press agency dpa.

The comparison and brokerage portals Check24 and Verivox, which earn their money among other things with commissions from the energy companies, confirm this: "Recently, the new customer prices for electricity and gas have really collapsed," says Verena Blöcher from Verivox. At the same time, the prices of the basic suppliers have risen significantly. "With the return of the savings potential, we are also observing a significant increase in switching activities again."

The portal Check24 has also observed the trend: "The switching volume has risen to pre-crisis levels across Germany within a few weeks," says energy managing director Steffen Suttner. "In January 2023, the number of switches was even at record levels, similar to January 2021."/tob/DP/mis