When the electricity bill arrives, customers pay far more than just energy. Part of it goes to the state. The coalition is also planning a levy related to the restructuring of the energy supply.
The federal government is planning a new levy on the price of electricity for the construction of new gas-fired power plants and the modernization of existing ones. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The new plants are intended to help keep the electricity supply stable, even with a growing share of renewable energies. When the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, they are intended to step in.
Verivox expects additional costs of several euros per month
Regarding the magnitude of the planned levy, the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” wrote, citing information from Berlin, that it would probably be a “small decimal place”. With regard to other levies on the price of electricity, the comparison portal Verivox assumes that the new levy would result in extra costs for an average family of between one and three euros per month.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck stressed that financing such capacities through a levy is common practice in Europe to secure supply. “However, consumers will not have to pay anything at first,” explained the Green politician in Bonn. “We are now talking about the period in the 1930s. And then we will see how the electricity price can be exempted from other levies.” It is speculation to calculate exactly what this will cost.
According to Verivox, taxes, duties and levies accounted for around 31 percent of the electricity price this month. Another 30 percent went to electricity grid fees, the remaining 39 percent to electricity procurement and the electricity suppliers’ margins. Until the EEG levy – which was used to finance the expansion of renewable energies – was abolished in July 2022, the state share of the electricity price was significantly higher.
Result of the budget agreement
The project is part of the plans for a new power plant safety law, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) agreed on last week. A total capacity of 12 gigawatts (GW) is to be created, as well as 500 megawatts of storage.
For this purpose, new gas-fired power plants are to be built that are equipped so that they can later be operated with more climate-friendly hydrogen; existing power plants are also to be converted. Capacities of 5 gigawatts are to be financed from the Federal Government’s Climate and Transformation Fund, and a further 5 gigawatts via the levy described.
Source: Stern
