Energy prices: Habeck for children immediate surcharge
Created: 02/11/2022, 15:10
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has brought an immediate child bonus into play in connection with the increased energy prices.
© Michel Euler/AP/dpa
In order to absorb the burden of significantly increased energy prices, Federal Economics Minister Habeck has put forward a proposal for families.
Berlin - Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has also spoken out in favor of an immediate child bonus because of the rise in energy prices.
As a targeted measure, this is “absolutely necessary” to relieve the acute pressure, he told the “Spiegel”.
Greens parliamentary group Vice-President Lisa Paus had already said that the traffic light government was working on an overall package with relief, which included the heating cost subsidy for low earners, an immediate child bonus, the division of the CO2 price for heating costs between tenants and landlords and the fastest possible abolition belonged to the EEG surcharge.
The current plan of the traffic light coalition is to abolish the EEG surcharge via the electricity bill on January 1, 2023, and it is then to be financed via the federal budget.
The Federal Government is currently examining financial and legal aspects to eliminate it at an earlier point in time.
Habeck wants to ensure that the relief is passed on to consumers.
For this purpose, the legal obligations of the energy suppliers would be checked, according to ministry circles.
Business associations reacted negatively to such a possible obligation.
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150 euros less electricity costs per year: Ampel wants to bring forward the abolition of the EEG surcharge
Habeck once again made it clear that the prices rose primarily due to the increased demand for fossil fuels.
"It is, if you will, primarily a fossil inflation," he told the "Spiegel".
It is all the more important to expand renewable energies in order to overcome dependence on fossil fuels.
This would limit inflationary pressure in the long term.
dpa