Background information

As the price of energy resources was still extraordinary high, the government has decided to approve three additional measures to help households to cope with the high energy prices. The assistance package was prepared by the Ministry of Economy. It was approved as the amendments to the law on measures to reduce the extraordinary increase in energy prices, adopted by the Parliament (Saeima) on 11 August 2022 as a matter of urgency. The amendments came into force on 1 October 2022. Currently already available measures are described in EU Policy Watch database entry Support for household heating expenses .

Content of measure

The package of the additional measures includes:

District heating For the period from 1 October 2022 to 30 April 2023, 90% of the heating fee above €150 per MWh will be compensated for households. The total funding required for the provision of support is €87 million.

Natural gas For the period from 1 October 2022 to 30 April 2023 the price cap of natural gas for households was established in the amount of €108.7 per MWh. The difference between the market price and €108.7 euros/MWh will be covered by state compensation. The total funding required for the provision of support is €10.89 million.

Electricity For the period from 1 October 2022 to 30 April 2023 a fixed fee of €160 per MWh will be applied to all households for the first 100 kWh of electricity. The state will compensate the remaining difference to the market price. The total funding required for the provision of support is €67 million.

Currently already available measures are described in EU Policy Watch database entry Support for household heating expenses .

Use of measure

In total it is planned to spend €164 million for those support measures.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement to report.

Views and reactions

No specific views to report

Sources

• 27 September 2022: The government approves additional support measures to compensate for the increase in energy resource prices for households and entrepreneurs (www.mk.gov.lv)
• 13 March 2023: Energoresursu cenu ārkārtēja pieauguma samazinājuma pasākumu likums 17 Martch 2023 (likumi.lv)