Deutsche Bahn, net salary, cell phones: That will change in December

For many Deutsche Bahn long-distance passengers, it will be more expensive from December 15th. According to Deutsche Bahn, the prices of flex tickets, which allow customers to freely choose trains on the day of travel, increase by an average of 5.9 percent. However, savings and super savings prices should remain stable, according to the railway.

And in addition, the cancellation of Flextickets will be subject to a fee starting seven days before the first day of validity. Previously, Flexticket customers could cancel their ticket free of charge up to one day before it was due to expire.

But there is also more positive news from the railway company: from December 16th, the train will run from Berlin to Paris via Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg in around eight hours. And on the Berlin-Hamburg route, the diversion via Stendal ends on December 15th. This shortens the journey time by 45 minutes.

However, that is little consolation, because next year the important railway line between the capital and the Hanseatic city is to be completely closed for nine months.

Another restriction due to route renewal will actually end in mid-December: the Riedbahn, which has been closed for renovation since July 15th, will be reopened between Frankfurt and Mannheim. Here the planned costs have more than doubled.

New regulation for higher product safety

On December 13th, a new regulation for greater product safety comes into force across Europe. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is intended to better protect consumers from dangerous products. In the future, manufacturers will be obliged to introduce new security criteria to check their goods – for example with regard to interaction with other products or with regard to cybersecurity.

In addition, more information about a product must be made available, including risk analyses. The German product safety law will be adjusted accordingly, according to the federal government.

“Stricter standards apply to development, production and monitoring, as do documentation and traceability of the products,” says the Hamburg law firm Graf von Westfalen. In addition, the GPSR aims at closer cooperation between companies and the responsible authorities in order to identify and minimize the risks of unsafe products at an early stage.

The GPSR also applies to used, repaired or remanufactured products. Manufacturers also have an obligation to process product safety reports from customers within three working days. Online marketplaces must also apply the new regulations.

Uniform charging cables for all devices

The uniform charging cable with USB-C plug will become standard from December 28th. EU Directive (EU) 2022/2380 requires this for mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, portable video game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, earphones and portable navigation devices. Laptops and notebooks will only have to be able to be charged with a USB-C cable from 2026.

The directive is intended to help reduce electronic waste. According to the federal government, a total of around 11,000 tons of electronic waste is generated every year, including from various chargers.

A charging cable that fits multiple devices not only saves money, but also helps the environment. It is expected that the USB-C requirement could save up to 1,000 tons of scrap annually.

The basic allowance increases retroactively

On the pay slip for December, the net salary is slightly higher. The basic tax allowance – this is the part of the income that does not have to be taxed – will increase retroactively from the beginning of 2024 by 180 euros to 11,784 euros. The Federal Council approved the change on November 22nd.

In addition, the tax allowance for children is to increase by 228 euros to 6,612 euros. Depending on your tax class or church affiliation, the net income in the December statement increases slightly.

The days are getting longer again

December 21st is the shortest day of 2024. After that, the days will get longer again. Until June 21, 2025, the day of the summer solstice.

Stephan Maass is a business editor in Berlin. Among other things, he reports on consumer issues, real estate, finance and insurance.