Gas customers should be relieved – that is the government’s plan

The federal government wants to relieve gas customers in Germany and launched appropriate plans. The cabinet decided to change the Energy Industry Act. Specifically, companies and consumers should be exempt from costs of the gas storage levy. This should be financed by the federal government in the future.

In total, all end customers are to be relieved of around 3.4 billion euros, as Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) said in Berlin. With a surcharge of 2.89 cents per kilowatt hour, the relief for a four -person budget is around 30 to 60 euros a year depending on the consumption.

Specifically, it is about costs for filling the gas storage. The Federal Government wants to compensate for a so-called levy account with EUR 3.4 billion from the climate and transformation fund (KTF) by the end of 2025- this is a special pot of the federal government.

According to the draft law, the levy for household customers accounts for around 2.4 percent and around five percent of the gas price for major customers. With a view to the so -called energy market design, Minister Reiche said that the loss of the gas storage levy could also make the electricity price cheaper.

There is criticism that the costs are financed from the KTF, for example from the Greens – because it promotes fossil energies from the state budget.

The abolition of the gas storage levy is part of an announced package of measures to relieve the energy prices. This also includes a reduction in network charges, part of the electricity price. The Federal Government has also decided to stab the reduction in electricity tax for the manufacturing trade from 2026.

In the coalition agreement, the CDU, CSU and SPD had announced that they would reduce electricity tax for everyone – albeit with the subject of financing. The Federal Government has the controversial decision of not reducing electricity tax for everyone at first, with household constraints, with the fact that the relief of industry is priority to secure jobs.

Representatives of the government factions in the Bundestag further urge to enable electricity tax reduction for all consumers. “The possibility of a broad reduction in electricity tax continues to exist,” said Union faction vice Sepp Müller to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “In a federal budget of 500 billion euros, one percent savings potential can be realized.” The SPD faction, Nina Scheer, commented similarly.

The Stadtwerkeverband VKU said that the gas storage levy was a national special burden, especially for industry in international competition, and thus a location disadvantage. However, only gas customers benefited from the abolition. “As long as the federal government only lowers electricity tax for the manufacturing trade and agriculture, all other power customers look into the tube.”

In addition, it was said that the gas storage levy was only one of several components from which the gas price is composed. “And some of the price components fluctuate and will increase in perspectives, especially the CO2 price and the network charges.”