From 1 October, Germany will introduce a levy that consumers will pay alongside their gas bills to help import companies cover rising fuel costs, reports public broadcaster ARD, based on information from news agencies dpa and Reuters. The levy is intended to cover the additional costs importers have incurred due to the restriction of Russian supplies, requiring them to purchase alternative gas at short notice and at high prices. It is planned that the levy will be in effect until March 2024. The extent to which gas prices will rise for consumers is currently unknown, as the initial amount of the levy will be published in mid-August, writes ARD. However, Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Robert Habeck) explains that the levy could range from 1.5 to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour (ct/kWh). If a four-person family consumes an average of 20,000 kWh per year, the additional cost would average a three-figure sum in euros. "The bitter news is this: it will certainly be a few hundred euros per household," said R. Habeck. This implies an increased burden on consumers that the state would be unable to prevent, the minister added. "However, those people who are truly being driven into poverty by higher energy prices must be protected," he said.

More than half of German homes are still heated with gas. So far, final consumer prices do not yet reflect the price increases on global markets because consumers have agreed on fixed fuel terms. Thus, the introduction of the levy is an additional incentive for households to save energy. (...)