Agreement concluded in the district building: To avoid energy debts and energy cuts
The prices of oil, gas, wood and electricity have risen sharply as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine. As a result, more and more people are having problems paying their energy bills. In order to avoid energy debts and cut-offs, the district, the four energy suppliers in the district - Stadtwerke Bietigheim-Bissingen, Stadtwerke Bönnigheim, Stadtwerke Ditzingen and Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim -, the Baden-Württemberg Consumer Advice Center and the League of Independent Welfare Associations in the district of Ludwigsburg recently concluded an agreement to support affected citizens in the district of Ludwigsburg. "With this agreement, the district has succeeded in agreeing a procedure that allows existing assistance to take effect quickly and easily when needed," says Heiner Pfrommer, head of the district's social services department.
From left: Heiner Pfrommer, Head of Social Affairs at the Ludwigsburg District Office, Martin Strecker, Managing Director of the Ludwigsburg District Deaconry Association, Nadja Barocke, Baden-Württemberg Consumer Advice Center, Christian Schneider, Chairman of the Management Board of Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim, German Thüry, Operations Manager of Stadtwerke Bönnigheim, and Frank Feil, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Ditzingen.
The agreement describes how citizens who are threatened by high energy costs, energy debts and energy cut-offs can be supported and protected from electricity cut-offs. This includes the energy suppliers sending out a customer information flyer from the district administration office, which provides information on how to get help. The customer information flyer also refers to a contact point set up at the district administration office for customers of the energy suppliers who have questions about the available help. In addition, the energy suppliers provide defaulting customers with information on which documents are required to submit an application to the social welfare office or job center - for example, for the assumption of increased costs or for assistance with heating costs or ancillary costs.
Employees of the district administration office and the advice centers are also given privileged access to an office of the energy supplier authorized to make decisions, so that a quick clarification can be brought about if necessary in order to prevent an energy cut-off as far as possible. The latter is limited in time until the energy price brakes expire. Finally, the energy suppliers want to examine in consultation with the district whether a permanent contact point can be set up for citizens who have problems paying their energy bills.
