Gas: The German bill will increase by several hundred euros
This increase should allow importers to pass on the price increase resulting from the war in Ukraine. However, the humblest of households will be helped.
Annual gas bills for individuals in Germany will rise by several hundred euros to allow importers to pass on the price hike, but the government is promising to cushion the shock for even the most modest of households.
From October 1, companies can charge 2.4 cents more per kilowatt hour (KWh) of gas, the organization of network operators Trading Hub Europe (THE) announced on Monday. 2.4 cents per kWh including VAT mean 600 euros more on the annual bill for a family with two children and an average consumption of 20,000 kWh. The sum is 480 euros without taxes.
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The surcharge was introduced by the government until April 1, 2024 to support gas importers and distributors who have had to buy more expensively on the world market since the war in Ukraine and the drop in Russian supplies. It must be recalculated every three months.
A promised “new aid package”
“The aim is to secure the gas supply after the German and European energy crisis triggered by the Russian attack on Ukraine‘ the Ministry of Economy said in a press release.
To cushion the shock, the overload is “must and will be accompanied by a new aid package“, Minister Robert Habeck promised in particular an increase in housing subsidies. The government “will find a way tooRobert Habeck assured that this additional levy would be exempt from VAT.
Germany has already provided €30 billion in aid to relieve individuals, including discounts at the pump or the popular €9 ticket that allows you to travel on public transport and regional trains for a month. However, the measure ends at the end of August. Berlin has also planned to inject billions of euros into Uniper, the leading gas importer and storage facility in Germany, which has been hit hard by the fall in Russian gas supplies since mid-June.
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Conversely, the RWE Group announced that it would not pass on the price increase through this surcharge. “RWE is a financially solid company, which is why we will not pass on losses for the time being.” the “we will absorb“, explained boss Markus Krebber on Thursday at the presentation of the results. RWE generated a net profit of 1.6 billion euros in the first half of the year.
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