The MV consumer center had its hands full in the first half of the year and is reaching its breaking point. Energy issues dominate and have become even more important. But it was also about rip-off.
Rostock (dpa/mv) – In the first half of this year, the consumer advice center in the northeast carried out over 1000 more consultations than in the first half of the previous year. The jump up goes back to the energy price crisis, explained the head of the consumer center MV, Wiebke Cornelius, the German Press Agency. Increasingly, it is also about listening, giving consolation and giving advice in crisis situations. The staff will not be able to maintain the high level of advice in the long term.
According to preliminary figures, the consumer advice center received almost 4,000 consultations in the first half of 2022, and almost 2,700 in the first half of 2021. The number of consultations and information was particularly high in June. The dominant topics since autumn 2021 have been questions about renewable energies, energy saving and price increases for utilities. Price increases despite the price guarantee would have contributed to this. With the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs, the topic has picked up speed.
The willingness of the population to save energy is high. “At the moment people are literally pounding on our doors and the phones are ringing non-stop,” says Cornelius. She pointed out various savings measures: take hot showers less often, adjust the heating system, plan groceries more consciously. With every degree less in heating, around six percent of heating energy could be saved. If you regulate your hot water from 60 to 45 degrees, you can save around a third.
However, according to Cornelius, consumers, especially those with little money, will not solve this crisis with their consumer behavior alone. “Therefore, the federal government must act.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) only announced further relief on Friday.
Other topics in the consultations were cases of rip-off with books. It is about the sale of completely overpriced specimens, often combined with credit financing. According to the consumer center, those affected are suggested that they have to complete an existing encyclopedia collection by buying other supposedly valuable books for a sale. The damage was in the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros.