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Electricity meter in a tenement house in Leipzig (archive image)
Photo: Jan Woitas / dpa
Economics minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) and finance minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) have promised citizens relief when it comes to electricity prices.
"We have to be very careful that there are no social imbalances in the implementation of our climate goals," said Altmaier.
"In the city, for example, it is much easier to use public transport than in rural regions, where many people depend on their car."
Pensioners and commuters in particular are dependent on social compensation, Altmaier continued.
»It's not about less climate protection, but about more climate protection combined with more social equality.
The abolition of the EEG surcharge can be a first step. "
Scholz made a similar statement.
"The price of electricity has to fall, because it should be attractive to switch to clean electricity," said the SPD candidate for chancellor.
»We want the surcharge for renewable energies no longer to increase the price of electricity as it is today.
A family then saves over 300 euros a year. "
The EEG surcharge, worth billions, finances the promotion of green electricity systems in Germany.
Along with other taxes, production costs and network charges, it is an essential part of the electricity bill.
So that the surcharge under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) does not increase drastically, the federal government had stabilized it for 2021 and 2022 with taxpayers' money from the budget worth billions.
This will result in 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour this year and 6 cents next year.
"Enormous sums that we can raise"
Altmaier said it was about "enormous sums that we can raise". The expansion of renewable energies is already costing a high double-digit billion amount every year, and there are additional costs. "As in the past, we can do that without significantly reducing individual or social prosperity," promised Altmaier. In the past 50 years it has repeatedly been possible to compensate for higher burdens from rising wages and incomes.
Refueling and heating with fossil fuels have already become significantly more expensive because of the CO₂ price.
In addition, electricity prices have risen significantly in recent years.
In their election manifestos all major parties promise to abolish or at least reduce the EEG surcharge.
However, it is questionable whether the income from the CO2 price will be sufficient to provide counter-financing.
So far, the EEG surcharge has brought in around 25 billion euros per year.
dab / dpa
