Reactions to the gas surcharge: coalition tries to calm down

After the gas levy of 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour was announced, the calls for further state aid for companies and low earners became louder. The coalition tries to calm down – and defends the measure.

Coalition politicians are assuring citizens and business that relief will take effect when the new additional gas levy has to be paid from October. Green leader Omid Nouripour announced a “joint effort”. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck promised the company that he would at least examine further measures.

However, the specific form is unclear. Nouripour told the newspapers of the Bayern media group about his announcement: “On the one hand, this means that we have to support people with low and middle incomes in particular, who are particularly affected by the drastically rising energy costs. On the other hand, the crisis is also affecting many medium-sized companies and thus key drivers our innovation and economic power. We will not leave you alone in this emergency situation either.”

Protective shield for companies should possibly be expanded

The government has already agreed to extend the protective shield for companies that are in trouble because of high energy prices. The Green Habeck said on Monday evening in the ZDF “heute Journal” that a system of economic aid had already been set up for companies. “We are currently taking a very close look at whether there is still a need for adjustments.”

The gas surcharge initially means an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour, which all gas customers have to pay, both private households and companies. The levy is intended to compensate for the increased procurement costs of major importers in order to protect them from bankruptcy and the German energy system from collapsing. The trigger for the rising gas prices was the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

Those with lower incomes are particularly affected

For a family household with a consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours, the gas surcharge means 576 euros, for a single household with a consumption of 5000 kilowatt hours it is 144 euros. After the announcement, there were renewed calls for further state aid, especially for those on lower incomes.

The managing director of the federal working group for debt counselling, Ines Moers, warned in the Funke newspapers that the gas levy would “additionally aggravate the financial situation of over-indebted households in Germany in the coming months”. “Anyone who is already in economic difficulties because of high inflation and higher energy prices will soon have a particularly difficult time,” said Moers. “That will become very clear in the coming months.”

Left Party calls for protests

For the Left Party, the gas surcharge is “completely the wrong way” because it places a one-sided burden on consumers. Party leader Martin Schirdewan defended in the daily topics his party’s call for protests against the gas levy.

He rejected concerns that these demonstrations could divide society in the current situation. “Those who are dividing society are the parties represented in the federal government by implementing an anti-social policy that is primarily at the expense of the majority of the population. It is quite natural that the population is angry. We on the left are striving to organize a hot autumn against the social indifference of the federal government.”

Schirdewan again called for an excess profit tax for crisis profiteers and war profiteers who would have to “bear their fair share of the burden of the crisis”.

Small and medium-sized businesses call for a crisis summit in the Chancellery

In view of the planned gas levy, the Bundesverband Der Mittelstand BVMW is calling for a crisis summit in the Chancellery. The federal chairman Markus Jerger told the newspapers of the Funke media group that “details on the planned incentive mechanism for the release of unnecessary gas quantities in companies must be worked out immediately and coordinated with the economy”.

“An energy summit in the Chancellery is the order of the day in order to bring all the relevant players to the table,” said Jerger, warning of losing any more time.

The levy would exacerbate the existential difficulties of many medium-sized companies. “And it is to be feared that the gas solos will continue to rise after the regular evaluations.” The head of the association described it as a “scandal” that citizens and companies would have to foot the bill for bad political planning.

SPD economic forum calls for a reduction in VAT

In the course of the debate, the SPD Economic Forum is calling for a reduction in VAT on electricity and gas. The president of the forum, Ines Zenke, told the newspapers of the Bayern media group that medium-sized companies form “the backbone of the German economy” and are “in trouble through no fault of their own” due to the energy price crisis.

“The federal government has a large number of different instruments that it can use to relieve the burden,” said Zenke. “This includes the temporary reduction in VAT for electricity and gas to seven percent – a relief that we already know from the corona crisis. And we also have to think about reducing electricity and energy taxes.”

Natural gas association does not expect any energy bottlenecks in winter

The Federal Association for Natural Gas, Oil and Geoenergy meanwhile expects sufficient gas reserves for the coming winter. “If the supply situation, including Russian deliveries, remains as it is, we will be able to get the gas storage tanks filled as planned under normal weather conditions and the implementation of the savings efforts,” said general manager Ludwig Möhring of the “Bild” newspaper.

Then Germany could “go into the winter with the intended storage levels in November”. “The Russians are currently delivering significantly less,” Möhring continued. “If these quantities continue to be delivered and if we have a mild winter and continue to save gas, the delivered quantities can still be sufficient.”

A spokesman for the Federal Network Agency warned against “Bild” that “the German gas supply could not be guaranteed in winter” from the storage facilities alone. “One can very roughly assume in an average winter that the quantities from the storage facilities will last for about two and a half months.”