The gas price brake will probably take effect at the beginning of February at the earliest. The federal government wants to relieve gas and district heating customers earlier. The Federal Council is now giving the green light for the planned emergency aid. There should also soon be clarity about the price brake.
The Federal Council has cleared the way for one-off emergency aid worth billions for gas and district heating customers. In a special session, the chamber of states refrained from calling the mediation committee on the law passed by the Bundestag last week. With that it is approved. The emergency aid is intended as a bridging measure until the gas price brake takes effect, which should be the case next March. However, the federal government is considering moving it forward to February. The federal government expects costs of nine billion euros.
It is planned that so-called final consumers of pipeline-bound natural gas and heat customers will be exempted from the December down payment. This applies, for example, to the sole owner of a single house who has a direct gas supply contract with a supplier, but also to small and medium-sized companies. The relief amount should be credited.
Tenants often have no direct contractual relationship with the supplier, but the landlords are customers - they should pass on the relief with the utility bill for 2022.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig said it was "very important news" for the citizens that emergency aid was being launched. "This is an important relief step, a very pragmatic help." However, the federal government must also clarify this week as to when the gas price brake will apply and what that means for the months of January and February. The Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics, Michael Kellner, promised that the government would bring all the proposals to the cabinet and the Bundestag in November.
