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Power lines in the morning fog: will the price brakes only take effect at the beginning of spring?
Photo:
Armin Weigel / dpa
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to start financial aid for electricity consumers earlier than previously expected - and is calling for relief in electricity prices from January at the latest.
However, the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management considers the initiative of the Green politician to be unworkable.
The general manager of the association and former Green Party politician Kerstin Andreae said that the implementation and design should be carried out by the customer in the same way as the gas price brake.
This will only take effect on March 1, 2023.
For this reason, it is also planned to take over the discount in December as emergency aid.
Habeck had previously told the "Handelsblatt": "In any case, the relief in the electricity price must start in January at the latest.
That's what we're aiming for.« Habeck drew attention to difficulties in financing the electricity price brake.
The government wants to get the money for this by skimming off "chance profits" from electricity producers.
Andreae now said that it has not yet been determined by which body and by which procedure random profits should be skimmed off, which, in contrast to the gas price brake, should be used for the relief.
Andreae: The trust of market participants is at stake
"The model most recently proposed by the federal government is extremely complex to implement and cannot be technically or organizationally implemented by the companies concerned," criticized Andreae.
In addition, retrospective skimming off of random profits should not be implemented.
"The confidence of the market participants in government commitments and the stability of the market framework are central to further investments in the expansion," said Andreae.
The federal government should therefore urgently develop a more practicable and future-oriented model for skimming.
The implementation of the associated EU requirements should be as simple as possible and must be handled by a state organization.
The consumer advice centers are meanwhile increasing the pressure to introduce both electricity and gas price brakes in Germany as early as January.
If necessary, it should also be extended to other energy sources, such as oil and pellets, said association leader Ramona Pop.
She warned: “People expect quick and effective help and relief.
Another stalemate will lead to a further loss of trust after the hustle and bustle of the last few months.«
"It is unacceptable that the price brakes only come after winter at the beginning of spring and then should not be based on consumption costs in winter," said Pop.
A quick relief should not fail due to technical requirements.
A commission of experts set up by the federal government has proposed a one-time payment in December for private gas customers and small companies based on the advance payment in September.
A price brake should come for industrial companies in January and for private households and small companies from March if possible, or April at the latest.
There are also corresponding ideas for curbing electricity costs.
apr/dpa
