Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

German households face levy of hundreds of pounds on gas bills

German households face levy of hundreds of pounds on gas bills

German households will have to pay hundreds of pounds more a year for gas under a levy to help energy companies cover the cost of replacing Russian supplies.

Before the Ukraine war, Germany imported more than half its gas from Russia.

Germany already has amongst the highest household gas bills in Europe.

The government said the move was necessary to prevent the collapse of the German energy market.

Ministers have promised the levy, which will be imposed from 1 October and remain in place until April 2024, will be accompanied by additional support for households.

Gas prices have soared since the invasion of Ukraine, as Western countries imposed sanctions and pledged to phase out Russian imports.

The EU says it will cut gas imports from Russia by two-thirds within a year, but has stopped short of a total ban.

Trading Hub Europe, the German gas market operator, said it had set the levy at 2.419 cents per kilowatt hour (kWH).

For an average family of four, the charge will amount to an additional annual cost of around €480 ($489; £404), according to the Verivox price comparison platform's calculation of an average gas bill of €3,568 a year.

Businesses will also be subject to the levy and the Federation of German Industries has called for more support.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said: "The levy is a consequence of Putin's illegal war of aggression on Ukraine and the artificial energy shortage caused by Russia."

"The alternative would have been the collapse of the German energy market, and with it large parts of the European energy market," he told reporters.

Economists warned the levy would further push up inflation - the rate prices are rising - in Germany, which hit 8.5% in July.

The German government has brought in subsidies for low-income households and is now spending an extra €15bn on fuel subsidies through cutting petrol and diesel taxes, providing people with one-off €300 pay-outs, extra child support payments and public transport discounts.

Germany has encouraged its citizens to reduce their energy consumption and in June it introduced measures including dimming street lights, turning off fountains and lowering the temperatures in swimming pools.


Last month, gas prices jumped after Russia further cut supplies to Germany and other central European countries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Russia sought to justify the cut by saying it was needed to allow maintenance work on a turbine but the German government said there was no technical reason for it to limit the supply.

Soaring gas prices have had a knock-on impact on household energy bills around the world.

In the UK, the typical annual energy bill is forecast to hit £3,582 in October - up from the current figure of £1,971 a year.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
0:00
0:00
Open
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
BlackRock-Backed Fintech Aims to Become Europe’s Charles Schwab
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Europe's Strategic Push to Challenge Dollar Dominance
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
Macron Lightheartedly Addresses Viral 'Shove' Incident in Indonesia
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
×