This is how much more expensive electricity and gas will be from January

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Energy grid fees will be increased at the start of 2024. We already pay a lot for electricity and gas, but from January on, you will have to prepare for even higher costs. This is because the grid fees will be increased at the start of 2024. For electricity, the average increase across Austria will be around 11.25 percent, while gas network charges will rise by an average of three percent, the regulatory authority E-Control announced on Monday. For an average household with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt hours…

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The new vignettes for 2024 are a popular gift. But: in addition to innovations, there is also a trap you could fall into

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The new vignette year started on December 1, 2023; this also marked the start of the validity period for the new adhesive vignette in sunny yellow and the 2024 digital vignette. This year, however, there are a number of innovations in addition to the color of the vignette, and these are also important if you either give the vignette as a gift or receive it as a present. “New to the offer for the first time is the 1-day vignette. Like the 10-day vignette, it is now valid immediately after…

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What’s changing about pensions in Austria: Raising the retirement age for women will take effect for the first time in 2024

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The increase in the retirement age for women will take effect for the first time in 2024. Female insured persons born between January 1 and June 30, 1964, can only retire at the age of 60.5. For those born between July 1 and December 31, 1964, the standard retirement age increases to 61. This pattern continues in further half-yearly steps up to the 1968 birth cohort. For women born after June 30, 1968, the standard retirement age of 65 will apply, as for men. Substantial pension increasesAnd what else? Austria’s…

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Christmas: A joy that overcomes human fear

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Fear and joy: the angels’ Christmas message speaks of two strong, contradictory feelings. The angels’ Christmas message: “Do not be afraid!” says the angel to the shepherds tending their sheep outside the gates of the town of Bethlehem. If you follow the Christmas story, at first glance, it is the unexpected light that startles the shepherds. The “clarity of the Lord,” who comes into the world and its darkness, is the first thing that spreads fear among us humans—as astonishing as this may sound. But it is not necessary for…

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How most Austrians celebrate Christmas

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Interesting facts about Christmas: artificial Christmas trees, Christmas sweaters—on average, Austrians put on just under a kilo—and they are the money savers when it comes to wrapping paper Seventy percent of Austrians are certain that they will be experiencing a white Christmas. Nevertheless, one in two people dreams of spending the festive season in warmer climates. This was the result of a survey by Marketagent. In addition, fir, blue spruce, and the like are increasingly being replaced by artificial specimens. Whether real or not, tinsel on the Christmas tree is…

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Dengue fever could spread in Europe

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They belong to the invasive species and are also multiplying more and more in our latitudes: the Asian tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito. The WHO is now warning that dengue fever could also spread rapidly in Europe because of these pests. The danger is growing due to climate change and the associated rise in temperatures, said WHO specialist Diana Rojas in Geneva on Friday. This year, Italy has reported 82 locally transmitted infections, France 43, and Spain three. Eggs do not survive local wintersRojas said European countries still…

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Experts explain: This is how long you can drive without changing your car’s oil

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Most people know that regular oil changes are important for the maintenance and well-being of their cars. Perhaps you pay attention to the small sticker in the corner of your windscreen. Or maybe you just change the oil every two months without giving it a second thought. There are several factors to considerAccording to experts, the time between oil changes actually depends on several factors. First, it depends on your vehicle. What type of car do you drive? Check your owner’s manual for information on how often you should change…

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“Second life” for Christmas trees in Vienna: collection points open on 27.12.

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The trees collected by the 48ers at the Christmas tree collection points are used by Wien Energie at the Pfaffenau waste incineration plant in Simmering to generate electricity and district heating. A Christmas tree provides light and warmth—ideally twice at Christmas and after Christmas. First, it provides warmth in the heart and sparkle in the living room, and second,” it provides light and warmth in the home. 583 Christmas tree collection points open until 14 JanuaryFrom December 27, 2023, up to and including January 14, 2024, the 583 Christmas tree…

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New corona variant – these symptoms are warning signs

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The Pirola variants dominate in Austria, above all JN.1. There is increasing evidence that it could develop into an intestinal infection. Corona numbers remain high. This is reflected in wastewater monitoring, whose curve is only slowly flattening, and in the more than 50,000 sick notes due to Corona infections. The number of hospital occupancy rates is also high, as Virolge Norbert Nowotny confirms in an interview with “Heute”: “We have over 1,100 hospitalized people throughout Austria, which is not a small number.”The new, even more contagious Pirola variants are now…

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