Thuringia's Minister of Economic Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD), has spoken out in favor of one-time financial relief for low-income households in view of the rapidly rising energy prices.
This already existed in 2000 under the then government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD), Tiefensee told the German Press Agency.
Erfurt - "Such an allowance could quickly and easily be linked to the housing benefit."
Approaches to regulating the gas market should also be examined, said the minister.
The rise in energy prices and the current inflation should definitely be part of the upcoming coalition negotiations between the SPD, FDP and the Greens.
In the current situation, however, it is also necessary to act at short notice, since the price jumps are considerable burdens.
The energy transition can only succeed if companies and consumers are not overwhelmed.
For example, price increases in the use of environmentally harmful energy sources would have to be offset by relief elsewhere, particularly due to the gradual rise in CO2 prices, demanded Tiefensee.
Above all, electricity must become cheaper in the future.
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Consumer prices in Thuringia continued to rise in September.
They were 4.1 percent higher than a year ago.
In August, the inflation rate in the Free State was still 3.8 percent.
Above all, fuels, heating oil and many services turned out to be price drivers.
This emerges from information from the State Statistical Office on Tuesday.
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After the explorations, the SPD, Greens and FDP announced an end to the financing of the EEG surcharge via the electricity price.
With the billions of dollars under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), green electricity systems are promoted.
However, the levy is only part of the electricity price.
In the industry, it is expected that a falling surcharge will stabilize electricity prices overall, but the bottom line is that electricity costs will not fall.
dpa