Tag #Price Manipulation

What specific pricing formula violations were found by the Bundeskartellamt during the investigation of German district heating providers, and how did these violations harm consumers?

Because district heating networks are natural monopolies—similar to railways or power grids—consumers are locked into their provider, unable to switch easily. This lack of competition allowed some providers to significantly raise prices during the energy crisis, prompting the Cartel Office's investigation. The investigation revealed that the illegal price increases were due to both underweighting the market element and misrepresenting actual costs in the legally mandated pricing formula.