ÖVP: "Discrimination"

Political dispute about senior citizens without internet

Thanks to the digitalization bonus, Burgenland Energie can pass on the savings to its customers.(Bild: Huber Patrick)

In order to get cheaper electricity from Burgenland Energie, the tariff must be changed online. If you don't have anyone who can make the switch online and are a member of the SPÖ pensioners' association, you can get help at the PV district offices. 

Anyone wishing to switch to the "Optima12 Unabhängig+ 3.0" tariff with Burgenland Energie and pay 14.90 instead of 15.68 cents net per kilowatt hour must submit the application online. This is the only way to benefit from the digitalization bonus. The fixed price offer states: "If you are a pensioner and do not have the option of registering online, you can make the switch via the office of the pensioners' association in your district."

"Age discrimination!"
This is age discrimination, according to the ÖVP Seniors' Association. "Older people who are not digitally fit enough are being excluded from better prices at the regional energy supplier," says regional chairman Rudolf Strommer. "Analog and digital customers must be treated equally!"

Burgenland Energie saves paper and postage
Stephan Sharma, Chairman of the Board of Burgenland Energie, says: "We want everyone to be able to get the cheap tariff as easily as possible. But this must also be legally valid." This is why the digitalization discount was chosen. "Because if we save on paper and postage costs, then our customers should also receive these savings."

120 tariff changes at the PV office in the previous year
The number of people seeking help who visited an office of the SPÖ Pensioners' Association (PV) in the previous year was manageable. "We carried out the changeover for 120 of our members," reports provincial secretary Helmut Schuster. According to Burgenland Energie, the majority of senior citizens without internet who were willing to switch relied on the technical skills of their children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends via multi-user administration.

Of course, all senior citizens' representatives from all parties have been offered a partnership agreement by Sharma. "But only the PV has accepted this opportunity to support older people."

Chairman Strommer can justify his no: "We will not be instrumentalized for this age-discriminatory pricing policy."