Further criticism of the gas levy: the IG Metall trade union has called for a price cap for gas and electricity due to the sharp rise in costs. The Institute of German Economy considers improvements in the gas surcharge to be possible, but defends the additional costs in principle.
The federal government must now send clear and noticeable social signals, union boss Hofmann told the German Press Agency. “Without affordable energy costs, there is a risk that social cohesion will break.”
Unlike many companies, people could not pass on the massive price increases, Hofmann said. “At the same time, they have to experience how billions in taxes are supposed to subsidize energy companies, for example.”
There has been widespread criticism of the planned gas levy in favor of importers, who have higher procurement costs due to the curtailment of Russian gas supplies – because companies that are making profits have also applied for it. The energy price lump sum that has already been decided by the federal government will be paid out to employees in September.
There is an easy way to reduce electricity and gas costs. Comparing gas and electricity prices is extremely straightforward.
Hofmann said that in addition to a second flat rate, a price cap was needed for normal household gas and electricity needs in order to protect citizens from “horrendous cost burdens”. The expiring tank discount must be converted into a mobility allowance that will help commuters in particular, regardless of the means of transport. This also means that local public transport will remain attractive in terms of price and performance.
In the meantime, the employer-oriented Institute of German Economics (IW) has made suggestions for possible improvements to the controversial gas levy. Politicians must “sharpen the criteria for claiming compensation payments and take more account of the financial situation of companies and their systemic relevance,” said IW energy experts Andreas Fischer and Malte Küper to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND) on Saturday.
“The fact that with the levy, according to the current interpretation, companies can also claim support that may not get into financial difficulties themselves proves to be a design flaw. Improvements need to be made here,” demanded the IW experts.
However, they believe that the idea of sharing the additional costs of gas procurement through a levy on a solidarity basis and thus preventing the collapse of systemically important energy companies is fundamentally correct. “With all understanding for the emotional debate about the gas levy, we should not forget that this ultimately accounts for only a small part of the enormous gas price increases for households and companies and will also gradually melt away,” said Fischer and Küper. “What counts now are targeted relief for those who are particularly suffering from the high energy prices.”
