Energy prices in general have risen over the past twenty years, with the costs for electricity having risen considerably. While the university only paid an average of 8.6 cents/kWh in 2003, this price rose to 21.7 cents/kWh by 2021 – an increase of more than 150%. This can be compared with the prices for natural gas and district heating, which only rose by 70% and 40% over the same time period, respectively. Nowadays, however, they are also beginning to catch up. Although Freie Universität has been able to reduce its energy consumption by around 30% over the past twenty years, energy costs have continued to rise at a rate of around 45%.

However, the following also applies: If Freie Universität hadn’t reduced its energy consumption by 30%, the university’s energy costs for 2021 would have cost approximately an additional 6 million euros. Thus, we can be proud of the fact that savings made in the past have tangibly strengthened the university’s ability to react to challenging situations in the present.