The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine is leaving clear marks on the energy supply. Electricity, gas and fuel prices have continued to rise in almost all European countries, starting last autumn. The governments of individual countries often use different methods to relieve the population – from price caps to targeted measures for particularly affected households or temporary tax cuts. An overview:
The federal government in AUSTRIA has postponed the CO₂ tax originally planned for the middle of the year until the autumn as a compensation. The planned compensation, a kind of climate bonus, has been increased to 250 euros for everyone and supplemented with a one-off payment, bringing the total benefit to 500 euros per adult. Children get half. In addition, an energy voucher worth 150 euros has been sent to four million households, although the implementation has caused criticism. So far there is no price cap in Austria, but the federal government is examining a proposal for an electricity price cap for end users.
Led in the transport sector GERMANY fuel discount at the beginning of June. There is also the nine euro ticket for the summer months, which allows you to use all local public transport. Both measures will initially expire at the end of August. From 1 September, all salaried employees will be paid a one-off energy price of 300 euros at once.
Electricity and gas prices are in FRANCE closed since last fall. About six million low-income households received an energy check for 100 euros. Since the beginning of April there has been a tank discount of 18 cents per liter. Reduced VAT applies to electricity from February to January. A megawatt hour costs one euro instead of 22.50 euros, companies pay 50 cents. The price increase for electricity was limited to four percent this year.
In ITALY low-income households will receive financial support for their electricity and gas bills from the second quarter of 2022, depending on their size and consumption. In addition, there will be no network tariffs for consumers and there will be a reduction in VAT on the gas bill. Petrol and diesel are subsidized from March to early August. With a tax cut, the government promises to make fuel 30 cents per liter cheaper.
In SPAIN there was a fuel discount of 20 cents per liter from the end of March to the end of June. The Iberian Peninsula has a special position in the European electricity supply. The electricity grids of the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Europe are connected only 2.8 percent. This makes it less dependent on Russian natural gas, also because Spain and Portugal invested early in liquefied natural gas. So there was a special rule. Since the beginning of May, a megawatt hour of gas has cost an average of 48.80 euros. Before the agreement with the EU Commission, this price was just under 100 euros.
The government in the SLOVAKIA At the end of February, a deal was concluded with the partly state-owned company Slovenské elektrárne for 6.15 terawatt hours of electricity. For the years 2023 and 2024, the price per megawatt hour will be 61.20 euros. According to calculations by the Slovak Ministry of Economic Affairs, the population could save around one billion euros by 2024. This corresponds to about 500 euros per household.
In SLOVENIA Lower incomes received a one-off energy check of 150 euros, large families 200 euros. Electricity prices for households and small businesses will be capped from September. Medium and large companies are excluded from this. In addition, fuel prices were reduced between mid-March and late April and from early May to late June.
CZECH REPUBLIC had already suspended VAT on electricity in November 2021. In response to the Russian invasion, road taxes on cars, buses and trucks up to 12 tons were abolished. At the same time, the obligation to add more expensive biofuel to petrol and diesel was lifted. Inflation in the Czech Republic was 16 percent in May compared to the same month last year.
In HUNGARY Since 2013, there has been a brake on the extra housing costs. At the time, electricity and gas prices were slashed by 25 percent and then frozen. In November 2021, the Hungarian government introduced a fuel limit of 480 forints (about 1.20 euros). Since June 24, gas station operators have rationed daily fuel purchases to 50 liters per day. Cars with foreign registration plates have been filling up in line with the market since the end of May and cannot take advantage of the state-supported price.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
