STORY: The gas and electricity price brake can take effect from January. On Thursday, the Bundestag, with the votes of the traffic light parliamentary groups, passed the billion-euro legislative package that will relieve households and companies in the energy crisis. In return, some of the currently high revenues from energy producers are skimmed off in order to help finance the aid. According to the project, households and businesses will be relieved with gas and electricity price brakes from January. The capping of the gas, district heating and electricity prices is not to be implemented until March, but then the months of February and January will be counted retrospectively. The costs for 80 percent of the previous year’s consumption are limited to 12 cents per kilowatt hour for households and businesses. The higher market price applies to quantities consumed in excess of this. For electricity, the cap should be 40 cents. The price brakes are to apply until April 2024. After the Bundestag, the Bundesrat will deal with the topic on Friday. However, the law does not require approval, changes are therefore excluded.