Prime Minister Weil calls for a protective shield for public utilities

Created: 04/08/2022 18:49

Stephan Weil (SPD), Prime Minister of Lower Saxony.

© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa/archive image

In view of the difficult situation in the energy supply, Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) calls for a protective shield for public utilities.

The state must provide securities, said Weil on Thursday in Hanover after talks with energy suppliers and municipal umbrella organizations.

It could be about liquidity support.

Hanover – A prime ministers' conference is needed to talk about the situation of the municipal utilities.

Weil called for an energy summit later this month.

In the talks on Thursday, the term "energy price tsunami" was mentioned, "that's maybe not a bad description," said Weil.

With a view to autumn and winter, Weil emphasized that one is still ahead of the situation and that the time must now be used.

In the case of the protective shield, the prime minister sees the federal government as having a financial obligation, because the question of energy security is a nationwide problem.

Energy Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) said consumers were threatened with a higher gas surcharge than initially assumed.

One assumes up to five cents per kilowatt hour, which would lead to additional costs of 1000 euros per year for an average household.

Lies suggested that this amount be stretched out so that the burden is spread over a longer period of time, but the annual total is then smaller.

However, it is unclear how high the levy is and when exactly it will reach consumers.

The surcharge should take effect from the beginning of October and benefit gas suppliers such as Uniper, who have to buy replacement gas volumes from Russia at high prices for the missing, cheaper gas volumes.

So far, however, you cannot pass on these additional costs; this is to be done via the levy.

dpa