Status: 12/02/2022 4:17 p.m
In December, the federal government takes over the discount for gas and district heating customers. A study shows that only a third of private households with low incomes, which are particularly badly affected by the increased energy costs, benefit from this.
Almost two thirds of the emergency aid for private households, which is paid in December to compensate for the gas and district heating deduction, goes to households that do not urgently need it. This is shown by a joint study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research in Essen.
“Socially unbalanced”
The calculations show that households with a net income of less than 2,700 euros a month that spend more than ten percent of their income on heating, hot water and electricity need the compensation payments most urgently. They are particularly at risk of energy poverty. However, this only affects 34 percent of recipients of emergency aid from private households. The study concludes that the level of compensation is not socially balanced.
Around 20 million households will benefit
Gas and district heating customers do not have to pay a deduction in December because the federal government covers the costs. Above all, private households and small and medium-sized companies with an annual consumption of up to 1.5 million kilowatt hours should be relieved. Social, research and educational institutions are also entitled to compensation.
The energy industry association BDEW states that around 20 million households will benefit from the emergency aid. In addition, there are almost six million district heating customers.