Surprise energy bill for 83 tenants - Owed a sum of 220,000 euros for past heating expenses.
In the housing complex at Bürgiweg 22-36a, numerous families, single-parent households, and individuals with disabilities make up the majority of tenants. The owner of the property, Deutsche Wohnen (a housing company), has demanded up to 4000 euros in unpaid heating costs for each unit.
A sizeable number of residents have already left because of the increased costs, while others are actively searching for new accommodations in fear of their inability to cover future rent payments. This fear arises due to the additional 300 euros per month that have been added to the ancillary expenses.
Responding to this situation, the impacted tenants formed an advocacy group seeking defense against the exorbitant costs. Additionally, they wrote a letter to the company's board. For the sake of this effort, the tenants commissioned co2online, a non-profit consultancy firm, to prepare a study on the issue.
The study revealed that the average annual heating expense at 145 kWh per square meter is 71% higher than the benchmark for similar residential properties. With these findings, the average annual heating cost computed was 21.10 euros per square meter. Meanwhile, the cost in Lichterfelde was 103% more, calculating to 42.97 euros per square meter per year.
The heating system for these buildings is managed by GETEC, headquartered in Magdeburg. The invoicing of the heating expenses was handled by G+D, a joint venture between Deutsche Wohnen and GETEC. "It appears likely that this structure benefits Deutsche Wohnen by increasing their net profits," states tenant Felix Maaß (65). Landlords are strictly prohibited from passing on excessively high expenses to their tenants.
A significant proportion of tenants have disputed the requested arrears, with some success. "It is bewildering why certain residents were granted a 10% discount, others a 50% discount, while others received no reply or were not even offered a discount," says Maaß.
The heating cost crisis is a perilous matter across the city. "So far this year, we have engaged in 11,396 consultations regarding heating bills, almost a third of our total consultations," explains Dr. Ulrike Hamann-Onnertz, head of the Berlin Tenants' Union. During the entirety of 2023, the consultations totaled 16,670.
The energy emergency sent heating costs skyrocketing in 2022, peaking at a record high. Since 2022, heating costs have risen by up to 81%, according to Heizspiegel Germany.
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Source: symclub.org
