energy crisis
Ministry: Think price brakes for gas and electricity together
The Lichterfelde power plant supplies around 100,000 households with electricity and district heating. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
There is still controversy about when a gas price brake will start. The Ministry of Economics is now emphasizing that the planned relief must also include an electricity price brake.
The Federal Ministry of Economics has emphasized that the planned price brakes for gas and electricity must be considered together in order to relieve citizens and companies in view of the high energy prices.
“This is systematically important because there are centralized network and supplier structures for electricity and gas, which makes it possible to address them broadly,” said the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on Sunday at the request of the German Press Agency. This is not possible in the decentralized markets for mineral oil products, wood or coal, so that the same instrument cannot be used there.
The Federal Government is currently working on the implementation of the gas and electricity price brake and is also examining the various accompanying measures proposed by the Gas Expert Commission. “This work cannot be anticipated,” the ministry said. However, it is true that the increase in gas prices is currently the highest cost burden for both consumers and the economy – even higher than for electricity or other products such as oil, wood pellets or coal briquettes. “Therefore, this is also a focus of the measures.”
Scholz is considering starting the gas price brake earlier
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced on Saturday that he wanted to explore a possible earlier start date for the gas price brake on January 1st instead of March and to consult with the energy suppliers. “This will only succeed if we join forces in Germany,” he said after a meeting with craftsmen in Munich.
The commission of experts set up by the federal government had proposed a one-off payment in December for private gas customers and small companies based on the advance payment in September. The actual price brake should come in January for industrial companies and for private households and small companies from March if possible, or April at the latest. On Friday, the Prime Ministers’ Conference called for the gas price brake to be introduced as early as January 1st.