There should be a first remedy for gas prices.
Pensioners can look forward to the energy flat rate.
What changes you can expect at the end of the year.
At the end of 2022, numerous consumers in Germany are facing a few important innovations that will have a direct impact on their accounts.
Here is an overview of what will change in December 2022 - and what you can expect in the future.
1 December relief 2022: advance payments for gas and district heating
In December 2022 there will be a one-off emergency aid for gas and district heating customers.
This means that private households that are supplied with gas or district heating will have their December deduction waived.
However, amounts paid must be offset by energy suppliers in the next invoice.
The comparison portal Verivox, for example, calculated what this one-time relief in December would bring: "Based on the current market prices, the average down payment for a single-family house is currently around 297 euros." If the state paid an installment, the annual costs of 3,558 EUR 3,261, which corresponds to a “relief of around 8 percent”, according to Verivox according to the announcement.
2. Energy allowance for pensioners of 300 euros in December 2022
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In December, the energy allowance of 300 euros will be paid to pensioners.
© Lutz Wallroth/Imago
Pensioners are to receive an energy price lump sum of 300 euros in December.
The flat rate is intended to cushion the increased energy costs at least a little.
Employees already received the energy allowance via the wage slip in September.
So now pensioners residing in Germany should also benefit from it.
The energy price flat rate is taxable.
In the coming year it will be the students' turn, they have been promised an energy allowance of 200 euros.
Energy price flat rate simple: How much money is there for whom?
Energy price flat rate simple: How much money is there for whom?
3. Christmas bonus is paid with the November salary
In many companies there is a Christmas bonus for employees at the beginning of December, in others the Christmas bonus was already paid out at the end of November.
There is no legal entitlement to the special payment from the employer.
However, the entitlement could result from the employment or collective agreement.
In particular, employees who are paid according to collective agreements can largely rely on receiving a Christmas bonus in November or December.
4. Seasonal short-time allowance from December 2022 to March 2023
The bad weather season starts in December.
The seasonal short-time allowance will be paid in the bad weather period from December 2022 to March 2023, as the Federal Employment Agency informs.
Companies in the construction industry can use this to compensate for lost wages due to bad weather.
“Short-time work in bad weather can be introduced throughout the company or only in individual departments,” as the Federal Employment Agency informs.
5. Timetable change at Deutsche Bahn – higher prices for long-distance transport in December
In December, many citizens can therefore count on some relief, which they can use to reduce their overall costs at least a little in the energy crisis.
Other things, in turn, become more expensive.
You will have to shell out more money from December 11 if you travel longer distances by train, such as
BR.de
reports: "The railways are increasing their prices for long-distance transport by an average of 4.9 percent and justify this with the high inflation." Long-distance tickets and rail tickets are increasing.
The winter timetable will apply to Deutsche Bahn and many other transport companies from December 11th.
The most important change in long-distance traffic is the opening of the high-speed line between Wendlingen and Ulm, which means that passengers can travel faster between Stuttgart and Munich.
List of rubrics: © Lutz Wallroth/Imago
