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In efforts to protect the climate, the SPD, Greens and FDP are sending a signal to consumers. It’s about social balance. What is specifically planned.
Berlin – In view of increased energy costs, the SPD, Greens and FDP want to relieve consumers. On January 1, 2023, the financing of the billions in the EEG surcharge to promote green electricity via the electricity price is to be abolished, as stated in the coalition agreement that was presented to the German Press Agency on Wednesday in Berlin from several sources from all three parties. In addition, the traffic light wants to strengthen the housing benefit, introduce an air conditioning component and pay a one-off increased heating cost subsidy at short notice. In addition, landlords will in future also contribute to the heating cost surcharge through the CO2 price – so far, this has only been borne by the tenants.
In order to abolish the EEG surcharge, which electricity customers pay via the electricity bill, it is said, with a view to rising CO2 prices in the transport and heating sector, that socially just and economically competitive energy prices should be ensured. The financing of the levy via the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will therefore be taken over into the budget on January 1, 2023.
The energy and climate fund, which is fed from the income from CO2 pricing and a subsidy from the federal budget, should take over the financing. At the same time it says in the contract: “With the completion of the coal phase-out, we will phase out the promotion of renewable energies.” The traffic light aims to bring the coal phase out to 2030; this is currently planned for 2038 at the latest. The billions in the EEG levy are used to fund green electricity systems. The surcharge will decrease significantly in 2022, also thanks to funds from the federal budget. However, it is only part of the electricity price. According to calculations by the comparison portal Verivox, the abolition of the EEG surcharge will bring significant relief for consumers from 2023. For a family with an annual consumption of 4,000 kilowatt hours, the relief is around 177 euros.
The coalition agreement also states: “We want to achieve a fair division of the CO2 price to be paid in addition to the heating costs between the landlords on the one hand and tenants on the other.” A step model based on building energy classes is to be introduced on June 1, 2022. If this does not succeed in time, the increased costs due to the CO2 price should be shared equally between the landlord and tenant from June 1, 2022. The previously incumbent black-green federal government had actually decided on such a split, but this failed due to resistance from the Union faction.
SPD parliamentary group vice-president Matthias Miersch said that ecology, economy and social cohesion should be combined into a “social climate policy”: “A climate policy that does not divide.” The carbon price path will not be changed, so that everyone can adjust to it early enough and find alternatives. With the abolition of the EEG surcharge, everyone would be relieved as early as January 2023. Miersch went on to say: “We want to turn the energy transition into a real hands-on project by strengthening citizens’ energy and simplifying tenant electricity models. But ambitious goals alone do not save a ton of CO2. It is therefore crucial that we follow the letter with deeds and jointly get the projects off the ground in the coming year. ” (dpa)
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