Energy suppliesThe costs for energy imports are increasing

The crude oil price is the determining price for many other energy products, which is why the import prices for all mineral oil products, including petrol, diesel and light heating oil, have increased considerably from 2005 to the middle of 2008. The price hike has even hit fuels that are not directly produced from crude oil. In particular these include natural gas and, to a limited extent, imported coal. With natural gas, the price increase has resulted from the contractual agreements with the most important supply countries, where a linkage between gas and oil prices has been normal up to now. In view of this it can be seen that the drop in oil prices during 2008 heralded the drop in natural gas prices until the middle of 2009. Although coal prices also follow the development of the oil prices, the price fluctuations have been considerably smaller in the past than with natural gas or heating oil.