The gas surcharge is an additional burden on citizens in what are already financially difficult times. Calls for parallel relief do not subside. An overview of what the federal government has done so far.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised citizens another relief package that is intended to absorb the high prices for energy and food. “It’s getting more expensive – there’s no getting around it,” wrote the SPD politician on Twitter on Monday and assured that no one would be left alone with the higher costs, including those caused by the state gas surcharge.
According to Scholz, the previous state aid for consumers since the beginning of the Ukraine war has totaled 30 billion euros. Some things have already arrived in the accounts of the citizens, but some will only be felt in the coming year. And not all citizens benefit equally from all measures. An overview:
Consumers and companies no longer pay the EEG levy on the electricity bill. This does not compensate for the significant increase in electricity prices. According to the Ministry of Finance, citizens save 6.6 billion euros in electricity costs. The surcharge for the promotion of renewable energies is now being paid via the federal budget, so you continue to pay indirectly.
When will this reach the citizen? The surcharge has disappeared from electricity bills since July; everyone who pays for electricity benefits.
Almost everyone who works in Germany receives a one-off payment of 300 euros to cushion the high commuting costs. The money is paid out with the salary, so you also pay taxes on it. Ultimately, citizens with high incomes get less than those with little money. Pensioners, students without a job get nothing.
When will this reach the citizen? In September with the wage payment.
The child benefit is increased once by 100 euros per child. The bonus is not counted as income for social benefits, so recipients of SGB II benefits also benefit.
When will this reach the citizen? The money should already be in the account because it was paid shortly after the July child benefit.
The energy tax on fuel was reduced to the European minimum rates for three months. The tax rate was reduced by 29.6 cents per liter for petrol and by 14.0 cents per liter for diesel. According to studies, this has largely been passed on to consumers.
When will this reach the citizen? It has been in effect since June – but only until the end of the month. Then it is expected that fuel prices will rise again.
For the same three months, citizens could buy cheap train tickets for 9 euros a month. These can be used in all local trains nationwide – for the way to work as well as on vacation or for a weekend trip.
When will this reach the citizen? The ticket has been available since June – but only until the end of the month.
The basic allowance, up to which you do not have to pay income tax, increases to 10,347 euros, the flat-rate income tax allowance to 1,200 euros. Long-distance commuters can also add three cents per kilometer to the commuter allowance.
When will this reach the citizen? The changes apply retrospectively to January 1, 2022. However, they will only be noticeable to citizens after the tax return for this year.
Adults who receive Hartz IV or unemployment benefit II receive a one-time payment of 200 euros to cope with the increased prices. Anyone who receives unemployment benefit I receives a subsidy of 100 euros.
When will this reach the citizen? That should also be in the accounts: the plan was a payout in July.
The state subsidy for heating costs for low earners was increased. Recipients of housing benefit who live alone receive 270 euros, two-person households 350 euros, and there is an additional 70 euros for each additional roommate. Students with Bafög, recipients of ascent Bafög and vocational training grants receive a flat rate of 230 euros.
When will this reach the citizen? According to the federal government, the subsidy should be paid out in the summer; the federal states are responsible. Therefore, the payout time is different.
Companies have the opportunity to offset current losses against profits from previous years to a greater extent for tax purposes and to write off machines or vehicle fleets differently. The state development bank KfW gives special loans to companies that have been proven to have been affected by the Ukraine war. Energy-intensive industrial companies can also receive state subsidies of up to 50 million euros because of the high costs.
There are calls from different political camps to put together another relief package parallel to the introduction of the gas surcharge. What this should contain and to whom exactly it should be addressed is a matter of debate. A reform of the housing benefit, more commuter allowances, an extension of the 9-euro ticket and more child benefit are in the room.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) sees no more financial leeway for this this year. He wants to act next year and, among other things, move benchmark values for income tax. As a result, the state would benefit less from the high inflation. In euros and cents, low earners would receive less than top earners. The coalition partners SPD and Greens therefore want further relief specifically for people with little money.
The Federal Ministry of Economics writes in a debate on Twitter that “the German pension level is one of the highest in the world”. The raw numbers say otherwise. And the citizens let those responsible feel it too.
All charging stations of the US car manufacturer Tesla in Germany are illegal. There are more than 1800 pieces. The problem: they do not show the consumer exactly how much electricity he is “filling up”. The authorities are already aware of the problem – they ignore it anyway.
The already low levels on the Rhine continue to fall – and have multiple effects. Also because cargo ships can load less, priority should be given to transporting energy by rail. Some of the water levels have already fallen to historic lows.
