I’m not too fond of the cold. As soon as the fall sets in, I grab a blanket and hope spring comes soon. So, I don’t mind a mild winter. Saying so may be tantamount to sacrilege in Wageningen, but this global warming that makes winters milder is somewhat positive in my view. I hope this won’t get me cancelled because there is another reason I hope for a mild winter!
I received the new calculation of the Idealis service fees for the year 2024 in my inbox this week. The government-funded compensation for the high energy costs expires in 2024, so I had expected a slight increase. I did not, however, expect an additional 120 euros. How on Earth am I going to pay that? Set the thermostat to zero?
I may be naïve – I can almost hear my parents say: ‘You have no idea how expensive everything is!’ – but the reverse also applies. They will have to listen in shock as I explain that my lovely but rather modest student studio costs over 700 euros a month as of January. I will respond with ‘You have no idea how expensive everything is!’, for lack of a better explanation. So, here’s a simple question for Idealis: How do I explain the high rent to my parents?
Seven hundred euros for a studio in Wageningen. Ridiculous!
These 700 euros become even more bitter when set off against residential Valhalla Vienna. The Austrian capital has topped the list of best residential cities in the world for a while now. This is in large part due to the luxurious social housing complexes in the city, some of which even have a pool! With a dropped jaw, I watched an episode of VPRO Tegenlicht this week. ‘I pay around 600 euros for an apartment of 45 m2.’ Although I was aware of the Viennese housing miracle, it really hammered it home. Seven hundred euros for a studio in Wageningen. Ridiculous! The cherry on top was the 250 euros in rent for a municipal house in the Austrian city of Graz. I tumbled from one surprise into the next.
I am well aware that comparing one country with another may not always be fair; other living expenses may be really high in Austria, or they may not have a myriad of government compensations (fortunately, I still qualify for a rent subsidy). However, it shows that rents need not be this high. An inspiring thought for the New Year, perhaps? For now, the Alpine Inspiration is unlikely to lower the rent, but it may offer some comfort from the cold.
