CIVIC LANE A German consumer federation's collective lawsuit against E.ON over district-heating prices reached a court hearing on August 24. Consumer advocates say some price formulas produced increases of several hundred percent, while E.ON says its pricing complied with the law and reflected market costs. District-heating customers often cannot simply switch supplier because local networks operate as monopolies. The dispute therefore tests how consumers should be protected when normal market competition is weak. The key question is what form of protection should carry the most weight.