There is just so much to talk about Austria. From its beautiful alpine landscape to bubbly cities including Vienna, Austria is really a country worth visiting for anyone wishing to create memories of a lifetime. Those who have visited Austria or any other country can confess being overwhelmed with anxiety and expectations. In such a mix of anxiety and expectations, its so easy to forget about important things such as cost of utilities. Better still, those really keen on details about Austria may simply end up ignoring the need to plan for certain kinds of bills, especially something like house heating. As a first timer ,relocating to Austria for a long period, it is high time that you start planning ahead of time about your electricity and because they matter.

Without a doubt, You Need House Heating in Austria

An expatriate coming to Austria from a country within the tropical regions that don’t experience four seasons a year may easily wonder what heating a house is all about. Anyway, it isn't something to wish away that the temperatures experienced across Europe can be so low that houses must be warmed.

Those who have visited or lived in Austria know too well that winters can be so cold. Actually, winter temperatures over Austria can be within the range of -7-5°C. The case is not much different in Spring where temperature ranges between 9-15°C. House heating becomes much more necessary during these two seasons, than Summer and Autumn. If you thought having a home insurance in Austria alone will be the sure source of safety, then forget it. The real thing is having a reliable and effective home heating facility.

One thing to really take note of is that even in between the seasons, temperature variations are bound to occur. As you move to higher places or in the mountains, the temperatures tend to be go down. For example, in Klagenfurt, Austria which is 450 meters above sea level, the temperature can plummet to around -3.5 degrees Celsius. In addition, the valleys and lowlands can get a lot of fog, and snow is very common, except perhaps in Vienna; although even the capital gets its fair share.

How to Get Electricity Connection in Austria

Local network providers own and operate the power distribution network in certain areas in Austria. However, each electricity distributor has the exclusive right to operate within their service territory but several providers may be present within the same city/town. Your local network provider is responsible for delivering electricity to your home, maintaining and operating the power grid, and for responding to power outages, and you must open an account with them in order to have power running in your home. The easiest way to find out which network provider services your home is to ask your landlord or the previous tenant or owner.

You will also need to open an account for your electricity supply. As of 2001, the electricity market in Austria is open to competition, meaning that you have a choice of electricity supplier beyond the historical supplier for your area. With many alternative suppliers developing in recent years, it is now often the case that the local/historic network provider is no longer the cheapest option for electricity supply.

Affordability of Electricity in Austria

When you move to Austria from abroad, the type of housing chosen and rental agreement signed will show what bills to expect for electricity. Some housing companies in Austria have the cost of electricity included in the rent to a given extent but over and above that specific amount, one has to pay. In some cases, you as a tenant will have to deal with the electricity companies separately without involving the housing company. Whichever the case is, you must as a priority expect that your electricity consumption in Austria will set you back a couple of bucks every month.

According to the reliable Global Petrol Prices website, as of December 2021, the price of electricity was 0.242 U.S dollars per KWH for households, and 0.187 U.S. dollars for businesses. The electricity bill is inclusive of power costs, costs of distribution and applicable taxes. There may sometimes be slight changes in the prices may occur due to time lapse and other factors.

Heating System Suppliers in Austria

Heating homes in Austria is the only sure way to at least escape the extreme temperatures of Winter. As opposed to the past when houses in Austria depended mainly on direct burning of wood fuel, district heating has taken over. In Austria, homes have a pipe connection to district heating. Of the energy used for district heating, much of it comes from biomass, natural gas, oil, and coal. The houses connecting to the district heating system in Austria continue to increase.

Aside from district heating, you can also buy some of the home heating appliances in the market. They are stand alone appliances that one can plug to the socket, turn on and regulate the temperature. It is an air conditioner of sorts. But the trouble with such is that you may need to buy one for each room because winter time in Austria is no joke.

Heating System Suppliers in Austria do provide home delivery services. However, there might be a nominal charge for home delivery services. Many of these Heating System Suppliers in Austria provide bulk delivery services. You need to take into account that they might need some commitment. Some of the suppliers include: Bio Energie Stainach Gmbh & Co KG, Benda Lutz Weke GmbH, Andritz AG, Froeling Heizkessel Und among many others.

House Heating and Electricity in Austria