Rising energy prices: Federal government is examining loopholes

electricity meter

Economics Minister Habeck wants to regulate low-cost providers more strictly.

(Photo: dpa)

Berlin Not only the energy turnaround will occupy the new federal government in the next few months – the chaos on the electricity market will add to that. Some energy discounters stop their deliveries, customers are sometimes confronted with high surcharges on their electricity and gas prices because they slip into the basic supply and have to accept higher tariffs

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to help electricity and gas customers and regulate low-cost providers more strictly. “The fact that people, believing that they have received a cheap offer, now find themselves in the more expensive basic supply tariff cannot simply remain without consequences,” he said in an interview with the Handelsblatt Energie-Gipfel.

His State Secretary Patrick Graichen spoke of a possible loophole. In a panel discussion at the energy summit, nobody expected energy suppliers to shed their customers in droves without going bankrupt. “We’re looking at it very closely and considering whether there is a need for action.”

Graichen doubts that basic suppliers could permanently offer two tariffs, one for regular customers and the other for new customers. But an answer will not be put off for too long, he said.

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Habeck wants to introduce legislative packages in the spring and summer that are intended to pave the way to climate neutrality. Electricity market regulations could be part of these packages. According to Graichen, relief for electricity and gas customers is also conceivable.

“Ordinary billions” needed

One idea among others is to reduce VAT on energy for a transitional period, said Graichen. He could not yet put a finished concept on the table. Here, the coalition must be ready to once again take “a decent amount of billions” in hand. At the end of the month, the cabinet wants to approve a heating subsidy for housing benefit recipients.

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Graichen hesitated when it came to the question of possible regulation of the risk management of electricity suppliers. “But the situation has made us realize that there were apparently very unhealthy risk strategies, and the question will be: Who has to pay the price for this?”

Susanna Zapreva, head of the basic supplier Enercity, explained that her company had so far managed without a second tariff. However, she announced a bonus for long-standing, loyal customers so as not to burden them with higher prices now.

The situation for consumers is difficult, but sometimes even more difficult for industrial electricity customers, said Zapreva. “I see the next big wave rolling that many companies can no longer pay their electricity bills.

More: Eon boss Birnbaum: “I fear we will lag behind the expansion of renewables”

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