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

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
×