Enormous pressure looms

Businesses are groaning under energy prices

WKS President Peter Buchmüller.(Bild: WKS7Neumayr)

The President of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce (WKS), Peter Buchmüller, is sounding the alarm: "As of January 1st, companies are confronted with a considerable increase in energy costs". 

An autumn economic survey conducted by the WKS shows that Salzburg businesses rate the high cost of energy and raw materials as the second highest risk to their economic success over the next six months.

Labor costs are still in first place. "Our companies are already under high cost pressure. A new wave of burdens will hit companies on January 1," fears WKS President Peter Buchmüller.

This is because the grid costs for electricity and gas will then be significantly increased and at the same time many economic subsidies that were introduced in 2023 and 2024 to cushion the rise in energy prices will expire. "Tightening the price screw on energy costs in this difficult economic situation is fatal and will place a heavy burden on all companies, especially energy-intensive businesses, further deepen the recession and increase the risk of deindustrialization," warns Buchmüller.

"Measures must be reconsidered"
 Buchmüller demands: "It is therefore urgently necessary that the electricity and natural gas levy remains reduced to the EU minimum, the green electricity levy remains suspended and the planned increase in grid tariffs for electricity and gas is reconsidered or reviewed for negative location effects." The increase in the CO₂ tax will also have to be reconsidered in light of the persistent recession.

In the long term, the WKS President advocates electricity market integration at European level: "This Europe-wide electricity market would not only bring greater security of supply, but also economic benefits." Buchmüller advises entrepreneurs to check whether they are already using the cheapest tariff from their energy provider or whether a tariff change is necessary. "Unfortunately, many companies are still paying far too high an electricity price, even though they could have benefited from a cheaper tariff a long time ago," says the WKS President.