Revolution in Burgenland: Small business wins against electricity monopolists!

Revolution in Burgenland: Small business wins against electricity monopolists!

A small business in Burgenland has successfully sued Burgenland Energy and fought for a remarkable success: After the dramatic increase in the electricity price from around 15 cents to around 60 cents per kilowatt hour, the company now receives a repayment of 8,000 euros for ten months. The civil lawsuit was submitted in the district iron city after the company was informed of the electricity price increase at the end of 2022. Attorney Patrick Mittlböck, who already represented a restaurateur in a similar case, took over the case and made a final judgment in March 2025. Burgenland Energie has dispensed with an appeal and must also bear the procedural costs, as bvz.at reports.

The exciting course of this process could have far-reaching consequences for many small and medium-sized companies in Austria that concluded permanent electricity delivery contracts. Mittlböck sees the case as a potential precedent: "Many customers may have similar demands," said the lawyer. The judge found that the customer was able to assume that the customer could obtain 100 percent green electricity. This contradicts the advertising of Burgenland Energie, which advertises 100% green electricity, while the electricity actually delivered was oriented towards the Austrian electricity price index (ÖSPI). The reasoning was emphasized that the end customer was not evident that the delivered electricity was acted as a "gray current".

Information for affected companies

With the final judgment, the judge underlines that Burgenland did not communicate energy -jumping price changes sufficiently. In particular, the company did not provide information about the right to terminate the electricity delivery contract within four weeks of the price increase. This is a central topic for many consumers, because [Https://www.verzusverzerzentrale.de/wissen/energie/Probleme-mit-streuen-und-dreuhungen-bei-strom-und-gas-was-laut-13201) explains that customers generally have a special right of termination for price increases. But the information about these price increases is often difficult to find and may occur like advertising.

Patrick Mittlböck recommends that all affected companies to check their contracts carefully and to claim possible reclaims should similar price increases have occurred. Claims expire after three years, which is why it should be traded quickly. The Brandl Talos law firm regularly organizes information events on the recovery, which are important for many affected people. In the meantime, Burgenland Energie has advised her customers to contact their customer supervisor in the event of uncertainties.

The current development makes you take notice, since the energy price crisis of 2022 had already been observed exorbitant price increases, especially in the case of gas. It remains exciting to see to what extent this judgment will have an impact on the practice of energy providers in Austria. The case shows once again how important it is for consumers to find out well and to act in good time in the event of price increases.