Category: Austrian News

Disguised in supposedly respectable garb, brazen scammers try to relieve Austrians of their hard-earned savings. Dear customer, you have an outstanding refund from oesterreich.gv.at. Our transaction management system recognizes that you are entitled to this payment.” (Lieber Kunde, Sie haben eine ausstehende Rückerstattung von oesterreich.gv.at. Unser Transaktionsmanagementsystem erkennt, dass Sie zum Erhalt dieser Zahlung berechtigt sind.“) It’s just a small excerpt from an email you may have received in your inbox over the past few days. However, behind the message – which at first glance seems pleasing, especially in complex,…

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No relief for the extremely troubled household budgets: Inflation picked up again in August. Prices increased by an average of 7.5%, according to the quick estimate of Statistics Austria. This means we are now paying 7.5% more for purchases and services than last year! “After 7.0% in July, prices rose to 7.5% in August, according to a first estimate. The increase is mainly due to the fact that fuel prices are reducing inflation much less than in previous months. However, the particularly high increases in prices in September and October…

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How quickly time flies: Friday marks the start of the ninth month in 2023, bringing a lot with it. Here are eight minor and significant changes with implications for everyday life. The music streaming service Spotify is raising its prices. Instead of 9.99 euros per month, 10.99 euros per month will be due for the Individual Premium subscription in the future. According to the email, those who do not agree to the new price will be downgraded to the free subscription with advertising. Existing customers still have until September 30…

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The heat wave continues in the east of Austria; in the west, it is ending – but it does not leave without new records. In Vienna, an incredible 36 degrees were measured on Friday. Because of the sultry weather, the perceived temperature is even higher. Also, the rest of the weekend continues with temperatures beyond 30 degrees; only on Monday is it expected to cool down. In the west of Austria, for example, in Innsbruck, the heat wave ends on Saturday. But even on Friday, values of 32 degrees were…

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Soon, the 2023 climate bonus will begin to be paid out, and this year’s amount will be significantly lower than last year’s. This year, the climate bonus comes in a slimmed-down version. On the one hand, the anti-inflation bonus of €250 will be eliminated entirely. On the other hand, the climate bonus will be paid out regionally this year (maximum €220; last year, €250 for everyone). So anyone expecting another €500 cash injection this year will be disappointed. But how does the climate bonus work? On the one hand, there…

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There will also be a climate bonus in 2023. But this time, unfortunately, you won’t get much. How much will you get paid? The climate bonus payment is getting closer and closer. Unfortunately, there are some changes compared to last year. Above all, the amount may not necessarily cause enthusiasm. After all, not everyone gets the same amount (or little). The amount of climate bonus depends on the place of residenceThis year, for example, the amount no longer depends on inflation but only on the development of the price for…

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Summer is proving to be more extreme than ever, with heat and drought everywhere you look. Soon, however, it will be very wet and uncomfortable. The weather has gone wild in the last few weeks: Persistent precipitation, including a fair amount of snow at higher elevations, has been followed by unusually high temperatures. We have been under the spell of summer for a while now. Like Monday’s weather, Tuesday will be similar: humid with highs around 35 degrees. But then it could get humid for the first time and not…

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Pensions are expected to increase by approximately 9.7 percent next year. This is based on average inflation over the last twelve months. This includes the preliminary value for July 2023, so the final inflation adjustment may change. It is based on the average increase in the Consumer Price Index. The Ministry of Social Affairs calculates the reference value based on the inflation rates published each Friday by Statistics Austria. The arithmetic mean of the twelve annual inflation rates published by Statistics Austria is used for the calculation. This results in…

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Inflation continues to slow down. In July, inflation fell to 7.0 percent, the lowest level since March 2022, Statistics Austria announced on Friday. Responsible for the decline was the easing of price pressure on household energy. In particular, fuel and heating oil were significantly cheaper than a year ago. However, the price increases in catering and food remained at a similar level as in the previous month. Compared to July 2022, an easing was particularly evident at the gas pumps and for those who heat with heating oil. Diesel and…

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