Factsheet for measure
DE-2022-49/3046
– measures in Germany
December 2022 gas and heating assistance
Dezember-Abschlag 2022
Background information
Due to the inflation resulting from the sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine, the federal government has issued a total of three relief packages during 2022. The first two relief packages stem from the first half of 2022.The last relief package (adopted by the federal government in September 2022 and by the German parliament in December 2022) is the biggest one in terms of financial aid. However, all three packages are worth €95 billion. As prices for gas and electricity are rising steeply, the federal government issued many measures, such as to take on the costs for gas and heating billed in December 2022. The December Emergency Assistance Act entered into force on 19 November 2022.
Content of measure
The federal government introduced the December gas and heating emergency assistance for private households and small and medium-sized enterprises using less than 1.5 million kilowatt hours per year. For these target groups, the federal government takes on the costs incurred by the December 2022 instalment payments for gas and district heating. December instalment payments are borne by the state, if the gas purchased is not to be used for any commercial generation of electricity or heat. This measure is meant to bridge the time until the gas and electricity price brake took effect and unburdened citizens and small- and medium sized companies during that time.
Apart from the above mentioned target groups, (preventive) care and rehabilitation facilities, non-profit educational, scientific and research facilities, workshops for people with disabilities or other similar service providers will also be included in this measure - regardless of their consumption. This also holds true for day care centres and other child and youth welfare centres/facilities.
Use of measure
No data yet.
Target groups
Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Company / Companies
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National funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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Consulted
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Consulted
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Form
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Direct consultation outside a formal body
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Direct consultation outside a formal body
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level
Involvement
Social partners were heard during the parliamentary hearing before adopting the new act.
Views and reactions
Overall, the measure was welcomed with some mixed-in criticism. For example, the Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate (GdW) suggested to not only include the December 2022 costs in the measure but also to include the bills for January and February 2023 (as at that time the gas and electricity price brake was still debated to begin only in March 2023). The welfare organisation Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband stated that in the draft law it remained unclear if larger child care facilities were also included in the measure.
Sources
