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MONEY

Payment for Germany’s gas levy not due until ‘end of October’

Payments from consumers in Germany to gas importers via a surcharge will be due later than planned, according to a government draft paper.

Published: 15 September 2022 16:24 CEST
A radiator in a German flat.
A radiator in a German flat. Gas customers will have to pay a surcharge in Germany soon. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Fabian Sommer

The levy will see ordinary people bear some of the soaring costs that gas importers are dealing with as energy prices shoot up because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent squeeze on gas exports to Europe by Russia. 

It is set to be imposed from October 1st and is aimed at propping up the German energy market.

However, a draft document seen by several German media organisations shows that the government is planning to delay the payments due from customers.

The advance payments for October and November should “not be due before October 31st, 2022”, say the draft plans from the Federal Ministry of Economics dated Monday.

According to the current legal situation, advance payments could be possible in September. 

However, it appears that the levy is still set to come into force at the start of October, even if the payment is delayed.

All gas customers will have to pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October, which means an extra burden of several hundred euros per household. The surcharge is in place until April 1st 2024, and is subject to adjustment every three months. 

At the same time, VAT on gas consumption will be reduced by the government.

‘Murky’

However, it emerged recently that some companies who have registered to receive a share of the levy include some who have not been struggling in the current situation. 

German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck recently admitted mistakes in the design of the levy.

Habeck said that the main focus had been on preventing a collapse of gas supplies in Germany, but that insufficient attention had been paid to the problem of “free riders”. He said improvements would be made.

The opposition Christian Democrats are opposed to the gas levy. CDU parliamentary group vice chairman Jens Spahn told DPA the situation remained “murky” and called for the levy to be shelved. 

READ ALSO: Germany pledges to change gas levy over energy profits outrage

Vocabulary

Advance payments – (die) Abschlagszahlungen 

Due – fällig

Extra/additional burden – (die) Zusatzbelastung

Gas consumption – (der) Gasverbrauch

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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MONEY

How German ministers want to protect online ticket purchases

Once a year, consumer rights ministers from Germany's federal and state governments gather for a joint conference. This year, improving online ticket sales and better data protection measures are on the agenda.

Published: 12 June 2024 11:14 CEST
How German ministers want to protect online ticket purchases

North Rhine-Westphalia’s consumer protection minister Silke Gorißen (CDU) will present proposals for further consumer protections for online ticket sales at the consumer ministers conference (VMK) on Thursday and Friday. 

Gorißen is pushing to make online ticket sales more transparent and give consumers more rights to back out of purchases if they don’t have enough information. 

Under the proposals, consumers would receive more information before purchasing tickets, such as details on the number of tickets sold by each provider and the prices for different seat categories.

Currently, ticket prices are often only visible during the purchasing process. 

The ministers will also consider whether consumers should be granted a right of withdrawal when buying tickets online. 

READ ALSO: How Germany is making it easier for consumers to cancel contracts

“The process of buying tickets is becoming increasingly complex and confusing, often limited to very narrow time windows,” Gorißen told DPA ahead of the conference. “I expect providers to act more in the interest of consumers. The market power of large ticket portals should not result in unclear and non-transparent sales.”

More data protection online

According to DPA, Gorißen also wants users of telecomms services to be better protected when it comes to their personal data. 

NRW’s consumer minister believes providers of emails, chats, or telecommunications services should be required to put measures in place to detect malware that’s designed to steal personal information from users. This should be done at the EU level, Gorißen said. 

Moreover, Gorißen says there should be more information on online safety made available through a consumer hotline. 

“IT security responsibility should not solely depend on the digital competence of users,” the CDU culture minister explained. “Protection against cyberattacks must become a societal responsibility.”

READ ALSO: The German mobile companies with the best – and worst – coverage

The proposals are set to be voted on by consumer ministers on Friday. 

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