Planned subsidy for heating costs: Consumer advocates clearly criticize the project - "Far too low"

Created: 02/21/2022, 11:48 am

 According to a study, the planned amount for the heating subsidy is too low.

© Fabian Sommer/dpa/symbol picture

The traffic light coalition wants to relieve people on low incomes with a heating subsidy.

But consumer advocates consider the plans inadequate.

Berlin – The traffic light coalition wants to present a package of measures against the price explosion in energy costs* shortly.

"In view of the price increases for heating, for fuel and also for food, we will decide on several reliefs for consumers," said SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

"We are working hard in the coalition to come up with something soon."

Heating allowance for 2.1 million people

The government has already launched a concrete draft law for a one-off, higher heating cost subsidy for over 2.1 million people in need.

Recipients of housing benefit and students and apprentices who are dependent on subsidies should thus be able to compensate for the sharp rise in energy costs.

According to the cabinet proposal, around 710,000 households that receive housing benefit should receive the subsidy.

You receive 135 euros as a single person and 175 euros in a two-person household.

For each additional family member there is 35 euros.

A total of around 1.6 million people are affected by housing benefit.

Around 370,000 recipients of federal training grants, around 65,000 young people with vocational training grants or training allowances and around 75,000 people in advanced training grants are to receive a one-time payment of 115 euros.

Hartz IV* recipients do not receive the heating subsidy.

Study: heating subsidy too low

However, the Federal Association of Consumer Centers (vzbv) criticizes the planned heating subsidy as too low and demands an average of at least 500 euros per household.

The association relies on a current study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin).

The one-off heating subsidy proposed by the government only covers a fraction of the cost increases, writes the DIW.

The extraordinary increase in gas prices poses a financial challenge, especially for low-income households living in apartments with poor thermal insulation. In addition, the current gas price level means that heating costs for households with gas heaters can be expected to double.

In view of the development, experts are already warning of possible consequences for the energy transition.

With regard to the 500 euros proposed by the vzbv, the DIW writes that this requirement corresponds to the average cost increases expected in the study.

And adds his own demand: "However, the calculations also show that the cost increases can be significantly lower or more, i.e. twice as high, depending on the thermal insulation and size of the apartment.

The proposal developed on the basis of the present analysis therefore recommends that only the additional financial burden that actually arose from higher heating costs* is reimbursed.” However, this requires increased administrative effort.

With material from the dpa

*Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA