Energy crisis: Gas allocation amounts to 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour

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The gas levy that will apply from October will be 2.419 cents per kilowatt hour. This was announced on Monday by Trading Hub Europe, a joint venture of the gas transmission system operators. The money collected in this way is to be used to support gas suppliers who currently have to buy replacements for the lack of cheaper gas from Russia at high prices. However, the levy will not appear on consumers' bills as soon as it comes into effect. Because of the notice periods to be observed, it is likely to be due for the first time in November and December. For private households, the extra costs are likely to amount to several hundred euros per year.

Gas importers in a difficult situation

The plans for the gas levy are a consequence of the energy and gas crisis resulting from the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. As a result, the European Union imposed drastic sanctions against Russia. Moscow, in turn, has been cutting back on natural gas deliveries for weeks and is sending significantly less to Germany than contractually agreed. Until now, Germany has been particularly dependent on comparatively cheap gas from the country. Gas importers can therefore only meet their supply obligations, for example to municipal utilities, by buying gas from other suppliers for a lot of money. So far, they have not been able to pass on these extra costs.

As a result, some importers have already made large losses, and the utility Uniper needed a rescue package worth billions. In parallel, the gas levy was prepared, with which the costs can be distributed more quickly and to all customers. The exact amount of the levy is calculated by the Trading Hub Europe, the so-called market area manager. There is also criticism regarding the plans for the levy. At the same time, the efforts to fill the German gas storage facilities to 95 percent by late autumn are going quite well so far. The interim target of 75 percent set for 1 September has already been reached two weeks earlier.

It is still unclear whether VAT will be due on the gas levy, reports dpa. Although the federal government wants to prevent this, it is not easy from a legal point of view. According to the Ministry of Finance, such exceptions are not provided in European law. However, Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has asked for an exception at the EU level: In a letter to EU Finance Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Lindner asked him to use his right of initiative and allow EU states not to charge VAT on state levies in the energy sector for a while. Irrespective of this, Germany would apply for an exemption under Article 395 of the VAT Directive, they said.

After the figure was announced, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said that the levy was "by no means an easy step", but necessary to maintain the heat and energy supply in private households and the economy: "Otherwise, security of supply would be at risk." According to him, a total of twelve gas importers have registered their replacement procurement costs with Trading Hub Europe; for the period of validity of the levy until April 2024, it is about 34 billion euros. Some energy companies such as RWE and Shell had announced that they did not want to claim the levy for their additional costs.

Habeck added that the levy must and will be accompanied by a further relief package. "Energy prices have risen enormously overall due to the Russian war of aggression. Especially for those who don't have much, this is a high burden that is not or only difficult to bear." He said the federal government had already agreed on initial steps such as an expansion of housing allowances with a heating allowance. "But I think that further targeted relief is necessary. In this crisis, we have to secure the democratic consensus in socio-political terms," the dpa quotes him as saying.

(mho)