Gas prices - Where is gas still affordable?

Unless someone here knows a way to get a gas tariff at a "discounted" rate?

Gas tariffs are usually regional. How is anyone supposed to help you if you don't provide your postal code here?

Now of course I am wondering how things will continue after 31.12.22. Should I just let the contract continue as is and hope that my provider does not drastically increase prices right away on 01.01.23 or should I switch now to avoid even higher prices in December/January? What are your experiences here? I hardly think prices will fall during the winter...?

Have you asked e.on what the conditions are for an extension of another 12 months? That should be possible now. Basically, e.on has planned for you as an existing customer and hopefully secured a certain contingent contractually for you. If, on the other hand, you appear elsewhere in the basic supply or as a new customer without a contract term, you will probably have to be supplied with expensive ad-hoc spot prices - and that costs!

With our electricity provider, I recently secured a new 12-month contract for 32,x cents/kWh, the existing contract with 25,x cents/kWh is still valid until 31.1.23 and after that the new one takes effect. If I were to switch to them now, I would be paying 49.1 cents/kWh.

At the moment, you can't really advise on anything.

There might well still be a basic tariff for gas. There could also be an overall gas price cap. The "hot phase" for gas only comes when the heaters switch on in October or next spring when the bills arrive...

Signing a contract now with 40 cents/kWh gas for 12 or 24 months can be fatal if the situation eases in 2023 and the gas price then falls to 20 or 15 cents.
And this scenario is much more realistic than a rise in gas prices to 50 or 60 cents/kWh.

Why?
Because, on the one hand, prices are currently being driven by panic in the financial markets and speculation. I read on ntv yesterday that "investors" are currently buying gas and electricity... "investors" want returns, nothing more, nothing less.
And on the other hand, every dealer has a big interest:
The addict must not die or become clean. So they have to control the prices so that they earn well but don’t cause the addict to rethink because of prices that are too high.

In addition, the current gas market prices are heavily distorted upwards by our Trading-Hub and also Uniper. Due to the required storage levels, all prices are simply being paid by the (partially) state-owned companies. Then many quantities are fixed, only small quantities available => even greater fluctuations. No one can currently afford customers they have not planned for.

No one can currently use customers they haven't planned for.

I noticed that yesterday too when the two comparison portals showed me exactly 0 results.

the two comparison portals

Well. At the moment, the suppliers have better things to do with their money than pay brokerage fees to the pushy portals. It's best to inquire directly with the local suppliers or directly with the big ones (yellow, blue, red...). Usually, there are still new tariffs that are significantly cheaper than on the portals. (4 weeks ago: directly from the electricity supplier 34 ct./kWh vs. ~45 ct. on the portal.)

Well. At the moment, the suppliers have better things to do with their money than to pay commission fees to the pushy portals. It's best to inquire directly with the local suppliers or directly with the big ones (yellow, blue, red...). Usually, there are still new tariffs that are significantly cheaper than on the portals. (4 weeks ago: directly at the electricity supplier 34 ct./kWh vs. ~45 ct. at the portal.

My municipal utilities currently only make new contracts with households located within the city area. 25.26 cents/kWh. At Vericheck24 already easily over 40 cents for my postal code.