Skip to main content

Policy work
- Topics
  Topics
  Here, you can find a selection of topics relating to consumer policy that vzbv works on.
- EU consumer policy
  EU consumer policy
  Find out more about consumer policy in the EU.
- Experts
  Experts
  Get to know vzbv’s experts and the fields they work in.
- Elections
  Elections
  German Parliament and European elections represent opportunities for long-term changes in consumer policy and are thus crucial events for our policy-work.
- Policy work
  Everything offered by vzbv for people working on consumer policy.
Media
- Press contact
  Press contact
  Contact for all media requests and other related enquiries.
- Press releases
  Press releases
  Here, you can find all press releases of vzbv.
- Media
  Contact for all media requests and other related enquiries.
Consumers
- Advice & information
  Advice & information
  You can find all the information services and advisory services on consumer-related topics here.
- Collective redress
  Collective redress
  vzbv launches collective redress actions on behalf of aggrieved consumers. You can find more information about this here.
- Consumers
  Consumers can find everything offered by the consumer associations and vzbv here.
About us
- About vzbv
  About vzbv
  vzbv campaigns for strong consumer rights, fair markets and safe products and services. Find out how we work, and what our association stands for here.
- Executive Director
  Executive Director
  Find out more about vzbv’s Executive Director Ramona Pop.
- Our members
  Our members
  Together with its members, vzbv forms a strong network for protecting consumers in Germany and Europe.
- Contact
  Contact
  You can find an overview of vzbv’s contact details here.
- About us
  As an umbrella organisation, vzbv brings together the strength of 16 consumer associations, plus 29 additional organisations focused on consumer policy. You can find out all about the organisation’s work here.

Overview
Demands
Downloads

Energiewende_were - AdobeStock — Credit: were - fotolia.de

Energy transition

The energy transition will only succeed if the interests of consumers are better taken into account. Surveys commissioned by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband – vzbv) show that the majority of consumers support the measures of the energy transition. However, they want financial relief and need incentives to integrate climate-friendly measures into their everyday lives.

The expansion of renewable energy sources (RES) is a cornerstone of the energy transition, along with energy efficiency and digitalisation. In the electricity sector, the expansion costs are immediately visible through the RES levy (“EEG-Umlage”).

A fair distribution of costs between consumers and industry is crucial for the success of the energy transition. Financial incentives can be created by supporting self-production of electricity by tenants and other residents of apartment buildings as well as promoting the refurbishment of residential buildings to make them more energy-efficient. The burden of any CO₂ pricing must not be borne by consumers only.

      
        vzbv demands    
    increasing the renewable energy generation in a  cost-effective but ambitious manner , in accordance with the climate objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement
sufficient incentives for consumers to generate, store and consume electricity from renewable sources
better opportunities for residents near wind power plants to benefit financially from them, e.g. through regional electricity tariffs
attractive offers for tenants and other residents of apartment buildings in cities to generate their own electricity
a fair and transparent distribution of costs between industry, business and private consumers

Downloads

Reform of the EU Energy TaxationDirective | Position Paper of vzbv | 25 March 2021

Reform of the EU Energy TaxationDirective | Position Paper of vzbv | 25 March 2021

View
PDF | 412.92 KB

Revision of the Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines | Position Paper of vzbv | 11 January 2021

Revision of the Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines | Position Paper of vzbv | 11 January 2021

View
PDF | 464.85 KB

EU carbon border adjustment mechanism from a consumer perspective | vzbv Position | 1 October 2020

EU carbon border adjustment mechanism from a consumer perspective | vzbv Position | 1 October 2020

View
PDF | 166.19 KB

Sector coupling in the heating sector | Short paper by vzbv | 6 June 2019

Sector coupling in the heating sector | Short paper by vzbv | 6 June 2019

View
PDF | 27.66 KB