Status: 10/21/2022 3:58 p.m
The federal states spent two days discussing relief. Now they are demanding that the gas price brake should come as early as January. Concrete decisions – also on local transport tickets or housing benefit financing – are still to come.
The federal states are demanding that the gas price brake comes faster – as early as January 1st instead of in March, as previously targeted by the federal government. The 16 state leaders agreed on this demand at the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK) in Hanover.
So far, the proposal by the gas price expert commission provides for a one-time payment to be made to citizens and small companies in December. Its amount is to be calculated using the September discount on the gas bill. The correct gas price brake, on the other hand, should only come in March – and thus at the end of the heating period.
Countries want help without interruptions
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil, who chairs the meeting of state leaders, said he could “urgently” advise against this schedule. Ups and downs in gas bills – one-off payment in December, higher prices again for January and February, gas price brake from March – are difficult to convey to citizens.
In their MPK decision, the federal states call for the support to be designed without interruptions. If the energy suppliers are not technically in a position to change their bills as of January 1st, the deductions should be adjusted retrospectively.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck reacted cautiously: “If there are any calculations that call into question the work of the commission, then we will deal with it again. First of all, the announcement from the federal government: we will implement the proposals of the commission.” Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the government is working at full speed to ease gas prices this year.
Concrete results maybe on November 2nd
When exactly what relief will come is therefore not certain. The next round of the federal states with Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to take place on November 2nd. Then more concrete decisions could be made, for example on the cheaper nationwide local transport ticket. Weil admitted that there is currently a “decision backlog”. It is still unclear how exactly the expansion and increase in housing benefit and refugee costs are to be financed.
Electricity price brake probably from January
According to the MPK decision, the federal states assume that the federal government wants to introduce the electricity price brake on January 1st. Weil also welcomed other planned aid programs, such as for the bakery trade and clinics.
NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst called for further energy savings for people who heat with oil or wood pellets.