Month: January 2025

People insured with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) receive messages about an alleged refund. This is an attempt at fraud. On Thursday, the Austrian Regional Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) warned about fraudulent emails in its name. In the messages, ÖGK policyholders are informed about an alleged refund and asked to open a link to request the refund online. Attention, attempted fraudHowever, these messages are an attempt at fraud. ÖGK “urgently” calls on its policyholders not to respond to it. “Under no circumstances should the link provided be opened or…

To the north of the main Alpine ridge, clouds will predominate, and unproductive snow showers will continue to fall. Only in the afternoon will the cloud cover clear up a little in some areas. In the rest of Austria, it will be largely dry from early morning and often sunny in the country’s southern parts. In the north and east, sunny weather will only set in later in the day. The wind is often moderate to brisk from the west to northwest. Early temperatures minus 6 to 0 degrees, daily…

Astronomers, sky enthusiasts and stargazers are eagerly looking forward to 2025. There will be more to see than there has been for a long time. For the head of the Vienna Astronomy Association (WAA), Alexander Pikhard, 2025 will be an “amazing year.” The highlights of the astronomy year 2025:Partial solar eclipse (29.3.)Total lunar eclipse (14.3.)Total lunar eclipse (7.9.)Shooting star swarms (e.g. on 13.8.)Star explosion in the “T Coronae Borealis” system (date not yet fixed)A solar eclipse can also be seen in AustriaThe partial solar eclipse is on 29 March. From…

The new year draws attention to many changes for consumers. There’s a lot of news about energy bills, for example, but also about taxes, pensions, and fees. Here are 25 important points for 2025. Home loans. The strict lending criteria for real estate loans will expire in mid-2025, so it should become easier to obtain home loans again. Since the summer of 2022, the so-called KIM Regulation has regulated, among other things, the equity share when taking out loans (at least 20 per cent) and the amount of the repayment…

Shortly before the turn of the year, ÖAMTC reminds in a press release: As of 1 January 2025, the city of Vienna will raise the short-term parking fees again—half an hour will cost 1.30 euros (previously 1.25 euros); a full hour will then cost 2.60 euros (previously 2.50 euros). The fee will remain unchanged for Viennese with a parking permit for their district until further notice. Old parking tickets must be used by 30 JuneParking tickets at the “old” rate (until the end of 2024) may still be used until…

A lot will change in the new year, and some things will become more expensive. However, numerous salaries and benefits will also increase. We have an overview for you. Among other things, pensions will increase from 1 January 2025—by 4.6 percent and, therefore, by exactly the same amount as inflation. In addition, new pensioners who retire in the course of the year will benefit, in particular, from the extension of the protection clause and the further suspension of the aliquotation rule. These salaries will be increased on 1 January 2025…

As of 1 January 2025, all lightweight and metal packaging will also be collected in the yellow garbage can or yellow bag in the federal states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Burgenland, Styria, and parts of Upper Austria. This means that Austria has switched to a uniform collection system. One-way deposit for pet bottlesAt the same time, a one-way deposit for plastic drink bottles and cans is being introduced throughout Austria, leaving more space in the collection bins and allowing metal packaging to be collected simultaneously. The well-functioning system for the collection…