The Caritas boss and the DIW scientist are not satisfied with the implementation of their recommendations.
(Photo: IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen)
Berlin Three members of the gas commission set up by the federal government are campaigning for the recommendations made by the commission to be implemented more consistently. Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, Caritas President and member of the Gas Commission, said on Wednesday that the gas price brake had been tackled “promptly and decisively” and was having an “effect on the wallets” of consumers and the economy.
However, there are significant deficits in the recommendations that go beyond this. According to Franz Michel from the German Tenants’ Protection Association, the federal government has in some cases clearly deviated from the recommendations of the commission.
Michel criticized that it was “still unclear how the gas price brake will be broken down into individual tenancies”. More transparency is needed. Tenants would have to be granted extensive reduction rights in order to be able to defend themselves in the event of incorrect or non-transparent application of the gas price brake. In addition, the federal government has a “blind spot” in extending the moratorium on energy cuts and evictions.
The Federal Government appointed the “Gas and Heat Expert Commission” last year. Under the chairmanship of business experts Veronika Grimm, BDI President Siegfried Russwurm and IGBCE Chairman Michael Vassiliadis, experts from business, science, trade unions and consumer protection associations had developed a concept to cushion the effects of the sharp rise in gas prices on consumers and companies.
Tenant Protection Association: Financing the gas price brake is becoming cheaper
At the heart of the concept presented by the Commission on October 10 are gas quotas that are sold at capped prices. For private consumers, it is 80 percent of consumption. A gas price capped at twelve cents per kilowatt hour applies to this quota. For district heating customers, it is 9.5 cents. For industrial consumers, the quota is 70 percent, for which a price of seven cents applies.
In addition to this regulation, the commission members, who had unanimously adopted their recommendations, had made further suggestions. They concern, for example, hardship regulations for particularly affected tenants and improvements in housing benefits. The Commission also recommended liquidity support, guarantees and grants for companies. A “gas saving campaign” is also part of the recommendations.
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According to Michel from the tenant protection association, the amount to be raised by the federal government to finance the gas price brake will be up to 30 billion euros lower than initially calculated due to the recent fall in gas prices. The traffic light coalition must use this leeway to set up a special fund of 50 billion euros for social housing, demanded Michel.
Caritas boss Welskop-Deffaa also sees considerable deficits in the advice. The aim is to create “sustainable energy awareness” among the population. This requires information campaigns and individual advisory services. The aim must be to change habits. Only a few days ago, the federal working group for independent welfare received a rejection notice from the Ministry for Family Affairs. That’s why you can’t start with the planned consulting offers.
Karsten Neuhoff, head of the climate protection department at the DIW and a member of the gas commission, criticized the federal government’s lack of commitment to supporting energy-saving measures and focused on the building sector. The refurbishment rate of one percent so far must be increased to “two, three and four percent” as quickly as possible. The federal government must define clear refurbishment goals and focus on buildings that are in a particularly poor energy condition.
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