Stadtwerke Aalen: Massive losses and new ways to rescue!

Stadtwerke Aalen: Massive losses and new ways to rescue!

Aalen, Deutschland - Stadtwerke Aalen GmbH faces a significant challenge. In the 2024 financial year, the municipal utilities recorded a minus of around 25 million euros. This deficit is the continuation of a difficult financial trend that began in 2023 with a loss of around 1.5 million euros. As the Schwäbische Post has now been determined despite the delayed line-up by the municipal council. The causes of the delay were in incomplete and sometimes false data supplied by the municipal utilities.

The city administration attributes the losses, especially to wrong decisions in energy shopping. Mayor Frederick Brütting described the situation as a "intensive phase of the processing". The local council finally decided to relieve the supervisory board for 2023, but only two members voted against while seven abstained. All members of the supervisory board were considered biased, which also complicated the situation. The first mayor Wolfgang Steidle gave the supervisory boards for their work thanks to the treasurer Daniela Faußner informed that the accounting processing for 2023 was now completed.

strategies for consolidation

Under the new management of Managing Director Michael Schäfer, Stadtwerke Aalen GmbH pursues the goal of comprehensive consolidation. According to aalen.de , the causes of the massive losses of recent years are currently being examined. Refurbishment shows deficits in the organization of the municipal utilities and significant defects in energy procurement. False financial figures were presented by the supervisory board and the city administration by November 2024, which further complicated the situation.

To support the Stadtwerke, a support package of 25 million euros will be developed, which will be advised by the local council in May 2025. Among other things, this includes savings in the household, the sale of non-operational properties and the sale of the indoor pool property. In the future, the settlement at the municipal utilities will be converted by rolling to the key date bills.

important changes and challenges

The Stadtwerke Aalen, which have a long history in the city and were originally founded in 1867, are in a phase of the basic transformation. Deficits in recent years have been due to wrong decisions in energy purchasing, a decline in sales of 2.5 million euros and severely increased material expenditure. In order to master these challenges, the municipal council decided on April 7, 2025 to keep the municipal utility in municipal hands and to develop a strategy for sustainable business.

The customer information center (KIZ) in the city center is also faced with a planned reopening, which represents another element of the realignment. These measures are necessary to bring the Aalen Stadtwerke to an economically stable course and to counteract the losses of recent years.

The general meeting, in which the discharge of the Supervisory Board is discussed, is scheduled for May 27, 2025. Until then, it remains to be seen which specific steps and strategies can be implemented to save the company.