[Consequences of deregulation in EU countries] The price of energy

dossier

“This fall, energy prices have risen steeply. This is not just due to the improving economy and increasing global demand. In EU countries, consumers are also feeling the consequences of deregulation, which has left their electricity supply to a volatile market. (…) Various political problems and obstacles arose during the liberalization of the gas sector and the electricity sector. (…) In the competition, whoever buys gas the cheapest – or can reduce their operating costs the most – has the edge. (…) In view of the exponential price increase in autumn 2021, governments are trying to intervene. But given the incredibly complex mechanisms, they are unlikely to achieve success. Especially since they have long since sacrificed most of their regulatory options on the altar of European competition…”Article by Aurelien Bernier from November 11, 2021 in le monde-diplomatique and to that:

• Decades-old flat rates are no longer even enough for fuel costs: Campaign to adapt the travel allowances in SGB II and SGB XII to tax law
  “In view of the drastically increased fuel costs, Tacheles is calling for the travel allowances in SGB II and SGB With today's fuel prices, the SGB II flat rate of 20 cents, which has remained unchanged for more than 20 years, no longer even covers the pure fuel costs, let alone the ongoing operating costs of a vehicle. Employed benefit recipients must not have to finance the necessary costs of their work from their subsistence level.The legislature or regulation is therefore called upon to finally promptly adapt the travel cost regulations in both legal circles and bring them closer to a realistic cost structure.“ Message inThomé Newsletter 32/2026 from September 20, 2026 toCampaign from September 20, 2026 at Tacheles 

• When energy aid is really useful: Some countries are relying on targeted support for poor households in the Iran crisis. The Federal Republic is not one of them
  "Electricity is no longer a burden for those most in need." With these words, Brazilian Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira announced the "Luz do Povo" (Light for the People) program that was launched at the beginning of the year: low-income households that use up to 80 kilowatt hours of electricity per month receive it free of charge, and there is a partial discount for families with up to 120 kWh of consumption. The basis is a national register that covers more than 40 percent of the population and covers a whole range of Social programs of the left-wing government of President Lula da Silva. The Brazilian payment system is highlighted as a positive example in a current analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The special agency of the OECD, the industrialized countries club, recommends that member states provide targeted aid for low-income households, as they would be hit hardest by the current energy price shocks. At the height of the energy crisis in 2022, low-income households in industrialized countries already had to spend around a quarter of their income on energy According to the IEA, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "caused the largest supply disruption in the history of the oil markets and had a significant impact on the supply of natural gas and a number of energy-related raw materials." Many governments have long since responded to the price increases and shortages. There were targeted emergency measures in Great Britain, for example, where 53 million pounds (around 61 million euros) were released for needy heating oil customers.The local authorities decide who is eligible and the exact distribution. Pakistan has introduced an aid package for motorbike and rickshaw transport operators. The South Asian country is using its existing “Benazir Income Support Program” to pay potential recipients directly via digital wallets. Germany is not one of the countries with programs for low-income households. Such targeted aid was already rejected in the 2022 energy crisis and in the debate about climate money, citing the fact that there was no payment system for it. A mixture of political unwillingness and data protection rules stood in the way. This isn't even being debated at the moment - it obviously doesn't fit at a time when citizens' benefits have been cut and cuts in benefits in the social security system are being prepared. The government, however, decided on a flat-rate fuel discount and the possibility of a tax-free one-off payment of up to 1,000 euros from companies to their employees. The latter was put on hold in the Federal Council on Friday - the reason: states and municipalities would be unilaterally burdened financially. “The fuel discount is expensive, inefficient and socially unbalanced,” criticizes Claudia Kemfert, an expert at the German Institute for Economic Research. Large parts might not reach the citizens at all, but instead end up with the oil companies. "At the same time, the fuel discount creates false incentives because it stabilizes the consumption of fossil fuels instead of reducing it." The DIW also considers the tax-free one-time bonus to be socially unbalanced, as it primarily benefits employees in larger, financially strong companies, while many other groups are left empty-handed - such as the unemployed, pensioners, students or employees in small companies (...) The black-red federal government is in bad company: in its global "2026 Energy Crisis Policy Response Tracker, the IEA lists 65 countries from Albania to Vanuatu, from Barbados to Zambia that have taken measures. However, only 25 percent of the announced programs are targeted at poor households, as the IEA writes...” Article by Kurt Stenger from May 8, 2026 in Neues Deutschland online 
• Inflation compensation bonus but without the “traffic light”: The government coalition wants to use the “relief bonus” to relaunch a collective bargaining prevention and division program
  • When relief exacerbates problems. Fuel discount and 1,000 euro bonus: The grand coalition repeats the mistakes of the traffic light government
    “…On the one hand, the mineral oil tax is expected to be reduced by 17 cents per liter for two months starting in May - a slimmed-down repetition of the fuel discount that was introduced by the traffic light government in 2022 during the energy price crisis as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine. In rare agreement, almost all economists present in the media had warned about exactly this. Economist Monika Schnitzer even said that lowering the price equally for everyone involved would be “the worst of all the options discussed so far.”
    On the other hand, the coalition wants to enable companies to pay their employees a tax- and duty-free “relief bonus” of 1,000 euros in the current calendar year. (…)
    It is also not certain that the “relief bonus” will reach the employees. Companies can pay these out to their wage earners, but they don't have to. The reactions from business, especially from medium-sized businesses, were remarkable. “That really makes me cringe,” said Christoph Ahlhaus, chairman of the BVMW medium-sized business association. It is an impudence to bring such an idea forward in these times. That is just an additional burden.
    The experience with the inflation compensation bonus, which was paid between 2022 and 2024, shows that employees with already good salaries or those in companies where unions were able to enforce the bonus in collective bargaining or at company level with strong works councils benefited most. The problem at the moment is that there will be no more major collective bargaining this year. Companies also used the inflation compensation premium to meet part of their collective bargaining requirements. This enabled them to avoid permanent wage increases. Last but not least, entire groups are left out of the premiums: the unemployed, students, pensioners and the self-employed. (…)
    After all, the government's devastating policies do not go unchallenged. On the Saturday after the announcement, Fridays for Future and other groups mobilizedTens of thousands of people against the projects in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne for demonstrations and rallies. The motto: Defend renewable energies. And on April 28th, a day of action is planned under the slogan “Save energy, relieve people”..”Article by Guido Speckmann in ak 725 from April 21, 2026 
  • After criticism of the period for payment: the federal government wants to expand the relief bonus
    “Originally it was only supposed to apply for this year - now the federal government wants to give employers until the end of June 2027 to pay their employees a 1,000 euro crisis bonus…”Report from April 20, 2026 at RND 
  • Tax-free 1,000 euro bonus: Who Black-Red wants to relieve - and who goes away empty-handed
    “It is one of the few concrete measures that the coalition leaders were able to agree on at their summit meeting at the weekend: If employers decide to pay their employees a “relief bonus” this year, they will not have to pay any taxes or social security contributions up to an amount of 1,000 euros. However, it is unclear how many employees will be able to benefit from this offer. The only thing that is certain is who will definitely not benefit from it: everyone who is not employed. The unemployed, students, pensioners and even the self-employed are left out. However, numerous employees will also come away empty-handed. “Making the planned tax- and duty-free bonus of up to 1,000 euros dependent on whether individual employers graciously pay it or not is a completely flawed construction,” criticizes Verdi chairman Frank Werneke. Many employees whose companies do not want or cannot pay would therefore not benefit. “This is how we continue to divide society,” said the trade unionist. DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi puts it more diplomatically. The planned relief bonus could “accompany collective bargaining well – but only if it is paid in addition to normal wages.” In addition, an extension of the reference period would make sense in order to provide access to as many employees as possible given the different terms of collective agreements. “The problem is that for many employees there will no longer be any collective bargaining this year,” says Sebastian Dullien, scientific director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK) at the Hans Böckler Foundation.He also advocates that the federal government should create the opportunity to pay out the bonus beyond this year so that it can be effective and does not cause dissatisfaction. Steffen Kampeter, the general manager of the Federal Association of German Employers' Associations, also demands that “terms of collective agreements and unbureaucratic implementation must be taken into account”. (…) The reference to collective bargaining, however, points to two further problems. As early as 2022, the traffic light coalition at the time gave employers the option of a tax- and duty-free “inflation compensation bonus”, at the time worth up to 3,000 euros and for a period until 2024. According to an IMK study, around 69 percent of employees subject to social security contributions, around 23.9 million, received such a bonus, although the average amount was just under 2,000 euros. The inflation compensation bonus was paid significantly more often to employees with a collective agreement than to employees in companies without collective agreement (77 versus 61 percent). (…) The experience with the “inflation compensation bonus” from 2022 also shows that there is likely to be a downer for employees with a collective agreement. At that time, they generally did not receive the bonus in addition, but rather it was used by employers to suppress the required tariff increases. This means that the employees actually paid the premium with smaller permanent wage increases. The inflation compensation therefore served less to relieve the burden on employees than on companies..." Article by Pascal Beucker from April 14, 2026 in the taz online 
  • A thigh-thumper called a relief bonus: The federal government has decided on crisis aid that federal employees should not receive. The industry doesn't want to pay either
    "A tax cut on fuel that the refinery and oil companies are allowed to voluntarily pass on to consumers, but do not have to. And a "relief bonus" of 1,000 euros that companies can pay tax-free to employees if they want. This is government policy that is hard to imagine. Are the coalition members in Berlin simply stupid? Are they brazen lobbyists? Or are they mocking us, which would also be short-sighted, at least for the preservation of their own party? On the whole To top it off, Union parliamentary group leader Spahn announced just one day after the coalition agreement was announced on this package of measures that the federal government would unfortunately not be able to pay the bonus to its 500,000 employees. The local associations say: They can only do so if the federal government hands over the 2.6 billion euros for the 2.6 million collectively agreed employees in the cities and municipalities. And the business association BDA announced that its members could no longer afford something like that. (…) Those who work precariously in mini-jobs or at the minimum wage will either not get the money - or it will perhaps make their situation a little easier for a few months. However, inflation and the war-related oil price shock are not phenomena that will disappear in the fall and those receiving civil benefit or basic security are once again left completely empty-handed, and this year there is nothing for pensioners either of those who have to live in poverty in old age, every year.” Comment by Jana Frielinghaus from April 15, 2026 in New Germany online 
  • The government coalition wants to relaunch a collective bargaining prevention program with the “relief bonus”: real wage reduction bonus 2.0
    “The government coalition has announced a “relief bonus” of up to 1,000 euros, which companies can pay to their employees tax- and duty-free. (…)Merz didn't even try to sell this as an innovative new idea. "You know the pattern - this happened a few years ago during the energy crisis. Back then it was 3,000 euros." “Back then” was 2022. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had invited trade unions and business associations to a “concerted action against price pressure”. The result was the “inflation compensation bonus”, which was a real success – for capital. (…) But why did companies pay this “premium” at all if it is “voluntary”? This is because they were offered by the capital side during collective bargaining - instead of permanent, table-effective wage increases. The highlight: The “inflation compensation bonus” remained a one-off payment and evaporated, but the price increases remained. In an interim report, Christa Hourani called this “loss of real wages according to tariff” (…)
    It was the IG BCE that rushed forward with its conclusion in the collective bargaining negotiations for the chemical industry in 2022 and accepted the social and tax-free one-off payments of 1,500 euros each in order to "hide a bad agreement" and "keep resistance to the agreement small," as Hourani wrote. Their forecast: "These one-off payments do very little to reduce the immediate effects of inflation, especially for low incomes, and they do not change the long-term wage reduction at all. Because even if the inflation rate falls in 2024 - which is anything but certain - prices will not fall back to their old level." She should be right. Now the “inflation compensation bonus” in a new edition. (…)
    The EVG has already asked the “employer” to pay out the 1,000 euros to the employees “quickly and unbureaucratically”. But since the “relief bonus” is “voluntary”, it will be difficult to enforce the payment outside of collective bargaining against the will of the respective company. And where collective bargaining is due this year, as in the metal and electrical industries, capital will try to offset the one-off payment - as in the previous agreement - against more expensive wage increases that are reflected in the table. In the run-up to collective bargaining rounds, the DGB unions have almost always refused to enter into negotiations demanding one-off payments. Afterwards, formulations were heard and read that referred positively to the “inflation compensation premium”. For example, ver.di said that "no taxes or social security contributions will be deducted from this amount (...). So it is as if you were getting these amounts in cash." The perfidious thing is that many employees actually rely on getting money quickly so that they don't get further into trouble. The fact that this is the case also has to do with the fact that they are already living from hand to mouth thanks to the past real wage losses. Article by Lars Mörking from April 17, 2026 in the UZ online 
  • Statement by Frank Werneke on the decisions of the coalition committee
    "…"The federal government's announcement of a temporary reduction in energy taxes on diesel and gasoline is a first real step towards relief in the face of horribly rising energy prices. Overall, however, the coalition's plans fall well short of what is necessary. Unfortunately, black and red can be demonstrated by the oil companies. The coalition neither has the courage to limit profit margins on fuels, as has been successfully done in Luxembourg and Belgium, among others, nor are there concrete plans to tax corporations' excess profits separately. That's bitter. Making the planned tax- and duty-free bonus of up to 1000 euros dependent on whether individual employers graciously pay it or not is a completely flawed construction. Many employees whose companies don't want to or can't pay will therefore look down the drain and come away empty-handed. This is how the division of society is being pushed forward.”“ver.di press release from April 13, 2026 and also:
    • “€1,000 bonus – but only if the boss is up for it? This “optional” regulation is extremely dangerous and divisive. Relief must not be a game of chance! We need real wage increases and binding aid for EVERYONE.”  Post from the ver.di union from April 14, 2026 on bsky 
  • DGB criticism of the relief bonus is an own goal
    “The so-called relief bonus, which the leaders of the CDU, CSU and SPD agreed upon as one of the measures to cushion the rise in fuel costs, stipulates that companies can pay their employees a tax-free 1,000 euro bonus in the current year. The German Federation of Trade Unions has a strange criticism of this: Such a bonus is usually agreed upon in collective bargaining, it was said on Monday evening. He therefore asked: What about industries that have just concluded collective bargaining? Economic expert Sebastian Dullien also argued this. He expects the option to be on the table in all further collective bargaining negotiations this year. "The problem is that for many employees there will no longer be any collective bargaining this year," said the scientific director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK) of the Hans Böckler Foundation.
    But who says that the inflation premium only has to be discussed in regular collective bargaining? Wasn't it perhaps even a mistake that inflation compensation bonuses have always been part of collective wage negotiations in recent years? The Economic and Social Sciences Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation has repeatedly criticized the fact that inflation bonuses are offset against wage increases and that a sustainable wage increase in table salaries can therefore be lower. (…)
    Also because collective agreements are only negotiated in 50 percent of companies nationwide, the DGB's criticism is almost an own goal. Enzo Weber from the IAB, for example, fears a social imbalance in the years 2022 to 2024 based on his experience with the inflation compensation bonus: "Those who earn little will also receive little relief."…”Online Extra from April 13, 2026 of the young world 
  • See also the dossier:For whom inflation is a problem – and what it means for (tariff) policy
• VdK criticizes the fuel discount: relief is too often lost on global corporations. Two months of fuel discounts cost as much as the Germany ticket for the entire year 2026
  “The planned reduction in energy tax on fuels by around 17 cents per liter is being sold as a relief for consumers. But from the perspective of the social association VdK, it is completely unclear whether this relief will actually reach where it is needed. The experiences with the fuel discount in 2022 clearly show that it is not certain that it will be reliably passed on to people. At the same time, we see that in the energy crisis, oil companies are making billions in profits, while many people have to turn over every euro twice.(…)
  Instead of blanket measures, we need targeted and reliable relief that reaches people noticeably. This includes socially staggered direct payments, a fair adjustment of basic security and targeted support for poorer people in view of rising living costs. The fuel discount for two months will cost the federal government at least as much as the Germany ticket for the entire year 2026. Affordable and reliable local public transport - for example through a permanently cheap Germany ticket and a nationwide social ticket - could provide real relief because it reduces fuel consumption in the short term and enables access to climate-friendly mobility in the long term.”Press release from April 23, 2026 
• Relief package from the federal government: “Fossil answers to the fossil crisis” – the “pragmatic view of IG Metall has arrived”, mobility for all rejected
  • Coalition approves fuel discount, crisis bonus, tax reform
    “The government is relying on a reduction in energy taxes to ease the burden on drivers. And a tax-free crisis bonus for employees should also be allowed to be paid out again. What else is planned? And how is everything financed?…”Overview from April 13, 2026 on tagesschau.de 
  • Reiche wins the class: excess profits tax eliminated, but gifts to corporations. Financing through consumption taxes
    "The winner of the disputes surrounding the fuel and energy price crisis is called Katherina Reiche. The CDU economics minister, whose only maxim so far has been the state protection of extra profits for monopoly capital, has prevailed against the SPD chairman and Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. His idea for an excess profits tax for the oil companies, which was carefully brought into play, is passé, and with the design of the "reliefs" that have now actually been decided Capital in this country made a first joke right at the beginning of the press conference at which the results of the coalition meeting at the weekend were announced: Citizens should be relieved by reducing the mineral oil tax by 17 cents for two months Chancellor really wants “the oil industry to pass on the relief directly and without restrictions to consumers.” One thought that there would be loud laughter, especially from the oil companies, who can look forward to the fiscal relief without any obligation to lower prices. One point at least for the economics minister, who herself comes from the ranks of the energy industry The country is also “enabled” to provide its employees with a tax-free payment of 1,000 euros.It is questionable whether this will be used in too many places. An excess profits tax should only be “examined”, but a “health care reform” – in plain language: a significant reduction in public services – should be pushed through by the summer. Another point for the rich free market evangelists. (…) What has been demonstrated is that the political apparatus of the Federal Republic of Germany prefers to take the most senseless measure before even laying a finger on the profits of the corporations.” Comment by Luca von Ludwig in the young world from April 14, 2026 
  • Energy prices: hardcore against gas pumps
    ""I'm so tired of it," sing the self-proclaimed post-hardcorers Petrol Girls and in the song "Sick and tired" they list the many reasons for their emotional state. Admittedly, dealing with fuel prices is not part of their list of frustrations. But it could be part of mine. It's probably not just the band Petrol Girls that is tired right now, but also the federal government. After all, they fought their hearts out over the weekend in a special meeting on energy prices. The results are still sobering: The mineral oil tax on diesel and gasoline should be reduced by around 17 cents for two months. Workers should be able to receive tax- and duty-free "relief bonuses" from their companies - if they are big enough to afford something like that. What exactly is going to happen with regard to health insurance and pensions remains unclear and pensioners are left out of some of the initiatives; it remains to be seen whose pockets the proceeds of the tax cuts will end up. (...) It has been clear at least since the yellow vest protests: With its short-term measures, the federal government wants to prevent that. Comment by Sarah Yolanda Koss from April 13, 2026 in New Germany online 
  • Federal government relief package: “Fossil answers to the fossil crisis”
    “The planned fuel discount is not met with enthusiasm among environmental associations. Industry representatives are also disappointed – only IG Metall is not.
    Environmental associations are horrified by the two-month fuel discount that the federal government wants to introduce to curb fuel prices. “The government of Friedrich Merz is responding to a fossil crisis with fossil answers,” criticizes Greenpeace board member Martin Kaiser. The across-the-board reduction in the energy tax for fuel is expensive, socially unfair and favors large fuel guzzlers instead of strengthening alternatives such as buses, trains and electric cars. German Environmental Aid (DUH) sees it similarly. “A lower tax on petrol and diesel further subsidizes the show driving against climate protection with fuel-thirsty vehicles - and does not save a single liter of fuel,” says DUH managing director Jürgen Resch. The federal government should reduce the price of the Deutschlandticket to 29 euros for at least 12 months. To ensure less fuel is consumed, the DUH is also calling for a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour on motorways, 80 on country roads and 30 within towns. According to DUH, this would save 4.7 billion liters of fuel annually. (…)
    IG Metall satisfied
    The service union Verdi is also skeptical. The fuel discount is a first real step towards relieving the burden on citizens, says Verdi boss Frank Wernecke. But the coalition's plans fell well short of what was necessary. “The coalition neither has the courage to limit profit margins on fuels, as is being done successfully in Luxembourg and Belgium, among others, nor are there concrete plans to tax corporations’ excess profits separately,” he criticizes.
    IG Metall, which represents employees in the automotive industry, is largely satisfied with the coalition's decisions. She had called for the ban on combustion engines to be relaxed. “IG Metall’s pragmatic view of the path to a climate-neutral automotive industry has arrived, and we welcome that,” said a statement from the IG Metall leadership.”Article by Anja Krüger from April 13, 2026 in the taz online 
  • IG Metall on the coalition decisions:
    “The coalition's resolutions presented today are commented on by the first chairwoman, Christiane Benner, and the second chairwoman, Jürgen Kerner  (...)
    Fuel must remain affordable, and the reduction in mineral oil tax must achieve exactly that. After the significant price increases of the last few weeks, the excess profits tax instrument must be introduced. Relief in energy costs must also be achieved for energy-intensive industries and their employees. (…)
    IG Metall's pragmatic view of the path to a climate-neutral automotive industry has arrived, and we welcome that. Through market shares for hybrid vehicles, we secure employment with suppliers and win over skeptical customers. Because at the same time it is clear: the future will be electric. Likewise, the need for local value creation must now be immediately incorporated into the German position. This applies equally to the automotive and steel industries…”Press release from IG Metall from April 13, 2026 , see similar DGB:
  • DGB boss calls for longer fuel discount
    “The head of the German Federation of Trade Unions, Yasmin Fahimi, welcomes the reduction in mineral oil tax. However, the measure would have to apply for longer than two months. Fahimi also calls for mobility money that would also benefit cyclists...”Interview by Dirk-Oliver Heckmann from April 14, 2026 on Deutschlandfunk , see alsothe PM from 4/13/26 
  • Bentele on the relief package: “No real help for people with low incomes”
    “Government measures threaten to fizzle out while companies benefit / VdK calls for targeted relief instead of blanket measures…”PM at the social association VdK Deutschland e.V. from April 13th, 2026 
  • Get out of fossil fuel mobility – if not now, then when?
    “The current debates about relief measures show a clear mismanagement: instead of investing the money where it really has an impact, there is a risk of the same mistakes as before. The numbers speak for themselves: the transport sector is showing increasing emissions - a clear indication of politically incorrect management…”Comment from April 11, 2026 by and with Katja Diehl - see also
  • Dossier:“Free” local transport, or: the question of how tax money is spent. Instead of poison cars. 
  • and the dossier:Nine-euro ticket in local public transport: the first step to free fares?and there is the petition: “Relief” as a billion-dollar gift to an outdated system: 29-euro Germany ticket instead of combustion engine subsidies – mobility for everyone!
• Fridays for Future and six other associations want to protest against the current energy policy: demonstrations on April 18th and 24th
  "A broad alliance of the climate movement is announcing protests and actions against the federal government's energy policy. "Fossil energies threaten our security," write Campact, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Fridays for Future, Germanwatch, GermanZero, Greenpeace and WWF in a joint appeal that is available exclusively to taz. “We are appalled that Economics Minister Katherina Reiche and parts of the Union want to slow down the expansion of renewable energies.”
  For theApril 18th The associations and activists are calling for demonstrations in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. OnApril 24th Fridays for Future wants to protest nationwide, for the first time directly in front of constituency and party offices, especially of the governing parties CDU and SPD. (…)
  The associations are calling, among other things, for a higher pace of expansion for solar and wind power, the protection of the European energy transition industry from “unfair competition,” as well as social support and strong tenant protection “so that climate-friendly heating becomes affordable for everyone.” (…) “We all want a warm home, mobility that we can afford, and a healthy planet on which our children can grow up well and freely,” the associations write in the protest call. “In these times of crisis, the expansion of renewable energies protects consumers.” Article by Jonas Waack from March 26, 2026 in the taz online (“Broad alliance calls for resistance”)
  • Defend renewable energies: demonstrations on April 18th 
  • https://fridaysforfuture.de/aktionstag-24-4-2026/ 
• Bundestag decides to provide relief for gas consumers – from the climate and transformation fund 
  “Households and companies will no longer have to pay a gas storage levy from 2026. In future, the federal government will finance the annual costs from the climate and transformation fund.
  The Bundestag has exempted households and companies in Germany from the gas storage levy. With the approved change in the law, the federal government will cover the current costs of around 3.4 billion euros per year from 2026. The money for this should come from the climate and transformation fund.
  The change was passed in the Bundestag with the votes of the coalition partners Union and SPD. The Greens and AfD voted against the reform, the Left abstained.
  Specifically, the gas storage levy is about the costs of filling the gas storage facilities in Germany. According to the draft law, the levy levied for this has so far amounted to around 2.4 percent of the gas price for private customers. Most recently, the levy was 0.289 cents per kilowatt hour. The reform is intended to reduce the burden on a four-person household by 30 to 60 euros annually, depending on consumption…”Agency report from November 6, 2025 in Zeit online (“Bundestag decides on relief for gas consumers”), see the comment:
  • “The fact that the government wants to subsidize gas customers with 3.4 billion euros per year is a scandal in times of climate crisis. But the fact that this should happen with money intended to finance the energy transition and climate protection is the bottom of the barrel.”Post by  Michael Albert from November 8, 2025 on bsky 
• Doubly stupid: The federal government wants to reduce the price of gas. The costs for this should not only be paid by the owners of gas heating systems, but also by all taxpayers
  “The federal government wants to reduce the price of gas. Specifically, it is about the gas storage levy, which is used to create stocks for end customers, for example for the winter period. The owners of gas heating systems should no longer have to shell out for this, but rather the taxpayer: 3.4 billion euros should come from the climate and transformation fund. This is not only bold, it is politically stupid. Firstly, in the first half of the year more heat pumps were installed in Germany than gas heating systems. This means: The infrastructure for gas heating - overhead lines, compressor stations, distribution network, etc. - has to be paid for by fewer and fewer users. It's a bit like daily newspapers: Because people subscribe to them less and less, the delivery people deliver less and less - until delivery becomes so expensive that the printed newspaper is simply no longer worth it. Secondly, the 40 to 60 euros that single-family home owners are now saving suggests that the natural gas thing will continue like this. The CO2 price for natural gas rose from 45 to 55 euros per ton on January 1st, which costs a household around 250 euros. Next January the price will rise by a further 10 euros before it will be formed in emissions trading on the market from 2027 - and will explode. This is based on EU law, the Merz government cannot change that. Thirdly, it is clear that the government cannot afford new subsidies in the long term given the budget situation. That's why the gas price plans are also stupid in terms of power politics…”Comment by Nick Reimer from August 7th, 2025 in the taz online 
• “I'm always cold”: 47 million people in Europe cannot afford a warm apartment in winter - millions are also affected in Germany
  "... Her son is lucky, says Andrea*, because he goes to school and the heating is on. But the 48-year-old is an early retiree: "I'm always at home. I'm just always cold." In Germany, 5.2 million people lack the money for heating - many people are freezing. This is the result of an analysis by CORRECTIV.Europe based on data from the European Union's statistical office (Eurostat) from 2024. A cold home is a health risk, says Boris Kingma, thermophysiologist at the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research: "You can protect yourself from the cold with clothing, but if the living space is not heated, the body can no longer recover from the stress of constant cold." People in cold homes have an increased risk of mental and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, as well as chronic respiratory infections. All of them can lead not only to reduced well-being and inability to work, but also to premature death. (…) In almost all EU states, including Germany, the number of those affected has increased compared to 2021. The current data for the European comparison comes from 2023. (…) For Germany there are already figures for 2024, where 6.2 percent of the population were affected, which shows a decline compared to 2023. However, there are still significantly more than before the energy crisis (in 2021 it was 3.3 percent). Bremen has the largest proportion of unheated households at 12.2 percent, followed by Saarland (11.1 percent), the Arnsberg administrative district in North Rhine-Westphalia (9.6 percent) and southern Rhineland-Palatinate (9.5 percent); The Upper Palatinate has the lowest proportion, here it is 1.4 percent.(…) Many people freeze for fear of the next heating bill. Several people report temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees in their living spaces. And that they are forced to save on food so that they can at least heat something. The consequences are not only noticeable for them physically and psychologically, they also report loneliness. (…) Around 47 million people in the EU, Switzerland and Norway were unable to heat adequately last winter, which corresponds to 10.2 percent of the population. This number has increased dramatically since 2021, when it was just under 31 million. The values ​​are particularly high not in the cold zone of Europe, but in the warmer zone: in regions in Spain, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria and Italy. Lithuania also stands out. (…) “Many people in Europe now have to decide whether to eat or heat,” says global public health lecturer Aravinda Guntupalli, who researches energy poverty at the University of Aberdeen.” Analysis from February 10, 2025 by and at CORRECTIV.org 
• Expensive energy: Over 200,000 households will have their electricity cut off in 2023
  "...In 2023, the electricity in German households was turned off more than 200,000 times because of outstanding bills. This is evident from the response of the Ministry of Economics to a request from the Left Party. The gas supply was also cut off more than 28,000 times last year. (...) According to the figures, every third power cut affects a household in North Rhine-Westphalia. The most populous federal state is also one of them, along with Baden-Württemberg The only countries in which power cuts were recently imposed were significantly less frequent than in the previous year in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Hamburg. (...) Many basic suppliers have announced that they will reduce their electricity prices in 2025. According to an analysis by the comparison portal Verivox, the situation is different when it comes to the supply of natural gas: According to Verivox, prices will rise for many providers, although there are also suppliers who are increasing the prices “The portal recommends that consumers check their tariff for alternatives.” Report from December 20, 2024 at tagesschau.de (“Expensive energy: Tens of thousands of customers have had their electricity turned off”)
• Tenants in the heating trap: Individual contracting companies are apparently exploiting legal loopholes to make a profit "For months now, reports have been accumulating across Germany about tenants who are suffering from horrendous back payments for heating costs. Sometimes it's just a few hundred euros, sometimes it's several thousand euros. For almost everyone affected, the large amounts of money come as a shock. Many fear for their apartment. Some try to defend themselves and even take to the streets. For some, it's about their existence. (...) What many of these people don't know: Behind the enormous back payments is not only the war in Ukraine, which is driving down prices for gas increased enormously in 2022. In many cases, the reason for the high costs can be found in one's own boiler room - and in German legislation: Landlords can then outsource the operation of their heating system to a so-called contractor or heat supplier Contracting companies belong to companies such as the Getec Group from Magdeburg or Techem Energy Solutions GmbH, based in Eschborn, Hesse, which lease boiler rooms including heating from landlords and homeowners for years and then operate and look after them. Germany's largest private housing company, Vonovia, which has been notorious for years, also benefits through a subsidiary (...) Hundreds of thousands of tenants across Germany are affected by excessive costs due to contracting, the consumer advice center estimates Federal Association. Maybe even more. According to the lobby association Vedec, around four million apartments in Germany are supplied via contracting contracts.Especially with heat. In view of the research results, it is questionable whether tenants benefit in all cases. What is clear, however, is that it often affects those who don't have much anyway: tenants of large public and private apartment buildings who rely on citizens' money and who cannot afford high rents. And certainly no high additional payments. (…) Even more people could be affected in the future: lobbying associations are promoting contracting as a solution for the energy transition. In politics, this form of energy supply is also seen as a good option for achieving Germany's climate goals. The theory: If homeowners want to install climate-friendly heating but don't have the money, a contractor can step in. He then gets the investment back through the heating costs. But this promise of more climate protection has not yet worked out in practice: at around 70 percent, climate-damaging gas is still the number one fuel in contracting plants. This is shown by the figures from the lobby association Vedec for 2023. (…) In this research, we use several examples to show what consequences the questionable practice surrounding contracting companies can have for tenants - why their resistance is difficult and what political measures would help. (…) According to the current draft bill, the amendment is primarily intended to strengthen the rights of consumers and create more transparency. In the future, companies should explain how their prices are determined.But the amendment is controversial: While contracting lobby associations want less transparency and longer terms, tenant and consumer associations criticize unclear regulations. Especially when it comes to contracting. The German Tenants' Association, for example, wants contracting to only fall under the regulations for district heating if the contracting companies actually invest in new heating systems. This is also linked to the demand of Thomas Engelke, head of the energy team at the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations: “If contractors really want to advance the energy transition, then without gas and oil heating.”…” CORRECTIV research by Gesa Steeger from November 11, 2024 and to that:
  • Vonovia and LEG must forego illegal heating cost claims!Future federal government must close legal loopholes!
    Press release from November 12th, 2024 from the tenants' alliance VoNO!via & Co. / Heat Fighting Working Group
• Heating costs rose in 2023 despite the price cap - opportunities to save even more are limited for many rental households
  • Heat monitor 2023: Despite increased prices, households are saving less heating energy than in the previous year
    “Prices for heating energy rose by 31 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year despite the gas price cap - temperature-adjusted heating consumption and emissions only fell by around four percent - as price pressure eases in the future, more investments in energy efficiency and changing heating systems will be necessary in order to emit less carbon dioxide (CO2).
    Anyone who thought last year that the energy price crisis was over was wrong: households in Germany paid around 31 percent more for heating in 2023 - despite the gas price cap - than in 2022. But obviously there was no longer as much potential for saving energy as in the previous year. In the first year of the Russian attack on Ukraine, households heated a good five percent less, adjusted for temperature, than in 2021. Last year, despite similar price increases, the average heating was just under four percent compared to the previous year. These are the most important results of this year's heat monitor, which the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) calculates based on the heating cost bills from the energy and real estate service provider ista.
    “The high heating costs have placed a heavy burden on many private households despite the gas price cap in 2023,” says study author Merve Kücük from the climate policy department. "Your options for saving even more are limited. Rental households in particular have little influence on energy-saving renovations or heating systems.”…”  Press release from November 6th, 2024 from DIW 
  • Heating costs rose in 2023 despite the price brake. Higher heating costs do not automatically lead to more energy savings, according to a study by DIW Berlin. More renovations are needed.
    “Despite the federal government's price cap: Households in two- and multi-family houses spent 31 percent more on heating last year than in the previous year. This is the result of a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) Berlin. The scientists evaluate the heating cost bills from the energy and real estate service provider Ista every year for their “heat monitor”. (…) “The high heating costs have put a heavy burden on many private households despite the gas price cap in 2023,” says study author Merve Kücük. “Your ability to save even more is limited.” Households in rented apartments would have little influence on energy-saving renovations or the installation of new heating systems. (…) There is no direct connection between high heating costs and energy saving. Heating energy was saved the most in Saxony, although prices there only rose below average. Prices are also high in Berlin and Brandenburg, but little was saved. If the consumption of heating energy decreases, the emission of climate-damaging emissions also decreases. CO2 emissions from heating energy fell by around 4 percent in 2023, after 6 percent in 2022. That is not enough, the scientists emphasize. “The dynamic in CO2 savings is not enough to achieve the climate targets in the building sector by 2030,” says study author Till Köveker. According to the DIW, this would require them to fall from 102 million tonnes per year to 67 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in six years. In order to achieve a greater decrease, targeted measures are required, according to the scientists. This includes more investments in energy-efficient building renovations and heating changes.However, this is not making progress: the renovation rate in Germany was 0.7 percent in 2023. According to trade associations, in order to achieve the climate goals, it would have to be 2 percent.” Article by Anja Krüger from November 6, 2024 in the taz online 
• From now on there is climate money! A broad eco-social alliance is calling for the immediate introduction of climate money and is starting, as an example, with payments to 1,000 people
  “The association pays 139 euros in climate money to 1,000 people without penaltytogether with a broad eco-social alliance. According to calculations, this sum would compensate each person in Germany for CO2₂-Pricing in recent years. For a family of four, that would be 556 euros – a noticeable financial relief. With increasing CO₂- Price, this amount grows accordingly every year and could create a necessary social balance. That's why the alliance of Sanktionsfrei, the Paritätischen Gesamtverband, Fridays for Future, Campact, 9 € Fonds, Robin Wood, BUND, Attac, Klima-Allianz, My Basic Income, Fondament and other organizations is now putting pressure on it. The alliance calls on the federal government to release the CO₂-To return income to the people in the form of climate money.
  The money for this is already available: the state is raising a double-digit billion amount through the CO₂-Price annually. Although the CO applies₂-Price so far only for companies, but indirectly it is mainly paid by the population as it is passed on to consumers. According to the agreement in the coalition agreement, the income should be paid back to citizens as climate money in order to compensate for increased costs for private households. Households with small and medium incomes would particularly benefit from this. In fact, the federal government instead spends most of the money on the economy (…) The climate money is targeted here and can provide a proportionally stronger climateProvide relief for low incomes,” emphasizes Marcel Fratzscher, President of theGerman Institute for Economic Research (DIW), the social effect of the Kilmageld at the joint press conference. “This compensation will be achieved with increasing CO₂-Price is becoming more and more important.” But despite everything, Finance Minister Lindner (FDP) has already announced that no more climate money will be introduced in this legislative period. "The climate change is not a luxury project. It will only succeed if it is designed to be socially fair," protests Ulrich Schneider, general manager of the Joint Association…”Press release from March 21, 2024 the Sanctions-Free Initiative, see:
  • Climate money – let’s get started! Here you get your climate money
    TheSanctions-free campaign page 
  • Without climate money there is no social acceptance
    “The federal government had actually already promised climate money in the coalition agreement. The Sanctions Free Association now pays it on its own
    From now on, those in need in Germany can apply for climate money. However, not with the federal government, but with the Sanctions Free Association. Anyone can register on its website to receive 139 euros to compensate for the rising CO2 price in Germany. The money that sponsors give without sanctions should be enough to pay out the 139 euros in climate money to exactly 1,000 people. The action should be understood as a symbolic anticipation of the compensation for rising CO2 prices promised by the traffic light government in the coalition agreement, said Sanktionsfrei founder Helena Steinhaus in Berlin on Thursday. (…)  With the sum of 139 euros, the association is referring to an invoice that the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations made public at the end of last year. According to this, the federal government received a total of 11.4 billion euros from 2021 to 2023 through the national CO2 price, i.e. through the CO2 surcharge on the fossil fuels used in transport and heating in Germany. According to the consumer advice center, with the 139 euros, the CO2 taxes paid would flow completely back to the citizens…”Article by Jörg Staude from March 21, 2024 in ND online 
• [Study by Climate Alliance Germany] Climate money alone is not enough
  “Even if Europe-wide emissions trading for buildings and transport does not start until 2027 at the earliest, the Climate Alliance already has suggestions for its design. This is primarily about social justice and vulnerable households and companies.
  Wouldn't it be nice if the Germany ticket only cost 29 euros? Or would it even be completely free? A study presented on Tuesday by the Climate Alliance Germany suggests that this should be possible at least for low-income households. It was carried out by the Ecological-Social Market Economy Forum (FÖS) and the Öko-Institut. The Climate Alliance is an alliance of 150 organizations from all areas of civil society. The study deals with the planned European emissions trading in the areas of buildings and transport, also known as ETS II. ETS stands for Emission Trading System. After ETS I for energy and industrial companies, ETS II is intended to become the second European emissions trading system. It is not yet entirely clear when the new emissions trading will start, probably in 2027 or 2028. There is already national emissions trading in Germany for buildings and transport. This should then be transferred to the European system. For CO2 emissions, certificates must also be purchased in ETS II. There is a maximum limit of certificates, the so-called cap. A shortage of certificates is therefore predicted, especially for the start-up phase. This means: CO2 emissions could suddenly become very expensive.
  According to estimates, when ETS II is introduced, the CO2 price could be between 100 and 200 euros per ton. So far, a ton of CO2 is expected to cost 55 to 65 euros in the German system in 2026. Such a large price jump would be clearly noticeable for people - in heating costs and at the gas station. In order to avoid a jump in costs, the study authors are calling for CO2 prices in Germany to be increased more beforehand. But they also demand a lower limit. Such a minimum price would counteract the strong price fluctuations that can arise in a free market and thus counteract uncertainties among the population. This would also ensure better planning, for example when financing climate projects…”Contribution by Leonie Vogelsang from February 13, 2024 at Climate Reporters tostudy 
• The call for climate money soon is becoming louder and broader: climate money now – for socially just climate protection!
  • Joint open letter to the Federal Minister of Finance: Pay out climate money during this legislative period
    "Dear Federal Minister, we were very surprised to learn that the climate money promised in the coalition agreement will not be paid out in this legislative period. We regret that very much. Many of us have supported CO2 pricing on the condition that the amounts paid by citizens are refunded to private households as climate money and are not just used in the state budget for other tasks. Citizens are already out of the loop CO2 pricing for the years 2021 to 2023 will provide over 11 billion euros in climate money. It not only ensures that climate protection in Germany becomes more socially fair, but also strengthens social acceptance for this crucial task. In parallel with climate money, a sufficient funding framework is needed to support a socially balanced climate policy that is independent of the CO2 price invest, need certainty that the state supports them sufficiently. Climate and consumer protection as well as social security must not be played off against each other. Private households that only use low CO2-containing heating and fuels benefit from climate money, as do households with low incomes: Pay out the climate money during this legislative period! Open joint letter from environmental associations dated January 16, 2024
  • [ver.di] You for social cohesion
    “It depends on you: Together with you, we will defend social cohesion. After the Federal Constitutional Court ruling, the traffic light coalition is tightening the austerity screws even more! (…) The traffic light wants to comply with the debt brake again in 2024. Instead of financing investments in infrastructure and climate protection through loans, cuts and cuts are being made. The budget cuts endanger the necessary socio-ecological restructuring of our economy. In addition, the red-green-yellow budget compromise has a severe social imbalance. Instead of financing higher spending through higher taxes on large incomes and assets, people with low incomes in particular are asked to pay. For example, through rising CO2 prices: This will cause heating and gasoline costs to rise again. Together with seven other social associations and environmental organizations, ver.di is calling for the introduction of social climate money to offset increasing burdens on people with low incomes. In order to increase the acceptance of climate protection, climate money had already been announced in the coalition agreement. It must be put into action now…”ver.di article from January 12, 2024 for a joint call with social associations such as Arbeiterwohlfahrt, Paritätisches, Diakonie or Volkssolidarität as well as environmental organizations:
  • Climate money now – for socially just climate protection!
    “The increase in the price of fossil energy due to rising CO2 prices is necessary in view of the climate crisis. At the same time, social balance is needed. We call on the federal government to return the income from CO2 pricing – nationally and at European level – to citizens in the form of climate money. And that has to happen now…” The common oneCall at ver.di - see also:
  • “Completely crazy decisions”: The unions’ patience with the red-green-yellow federal government is dwindling. Verdi boss Frank Werneke complains about “incredible loss of trust”
    "The unions' dissatisfaction with the red-green-yellow federal government is growing. Verdi chairman Frank Werneke has now criticized the leading traffic light politicians with unusually sharp words. As a consequence of the Federal Constitutional Court's budget ruling, the federal government has made "completely crazy decisions," said Werneke at the annual opening meeting of Germany's second largest individual union on Wednesday evening in Berlin. (…) In a joint call with social associations such as Arbeiterwohlfahrt, Paritätisches, Diakonie or Volkssolidarität as well as the environmental organizations BUND and Greenpeace, Verdi is now calling on the federal government to act immediately: “The federal government must keep its word and, as agreed in the coalition agreement, introduce climate money as a social compensation mechanism as quickly as possible,” the call says. In addition, significant investments must be made in climate protection, education, health, care, housing and ecological infrastructure. This requires a reform of the debt brake. Investments in the future must be exempt from the debt brake and financed through loans, the associations said in their appeal. Without a reform of the debt brake that enables more investments, or at least a “special fund” based on the model of the Bundeswehr special fund, the restructuring of the economy and society will not be successful and at the same time acceptance of the climate change will dwindle, warns