The Dutch government and the energy companies have agreed on a price ceiling for energy until the end of 2023. Insiders report this after reporting from the public broadcaster NOS. The measure will apply from 1 January, but in practice the energy bill will already be reduced on 1 November.
The price ceiling is between 6 billion and 10 billion euros. A large part of this will be collected by canceling the extension of the energy tax reduction next year. That amounts to 5.4 billion euros. The coalition parties will be updated on Monday evening by Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag.
There will also be an emergency fund for people who run into payment problems, as previously announced. The government reserves 50 million euros for this. Energy companies also contribute to this. It has also been agreed that premature termination of long-term contracts with energy companies will become more expensive for citizens.
The last details are still being worked out and filled in. This concerns, among other things, the arrangement for the last two months of this year. In recent months there has been continuous consultation between the government and energy companies. The industry association of energy companies, Energie-Nederland, was not yet available for comment.
Average energy consumption
An average energy consumption will be assumed. That is around 1200 cubic meters of gas and 2500 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Exactly where the bar will be set is still being discussed. According to an insider, the expectation is that the agreement will cover the entire consumption of more than half of the households. Energy prices have skyrocketed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, Minister Kaag spoke with the party leaders Jesse Klaver of GroenLinks and Attje Kuiken of the social democratic PvdA. They sent a proposal to the government for a price cap last week. Afterwards, they said they were hopeful that their plan for a price cap for gas and electricity would be adopted by the government and implemented before the end of the year.
Large package of measures
The plans for the price cap will be sent to parliament on Tuesday. Then the government will announce a large package of measures to compensate people next year for the sharply increased energy prices and inflation.
The opposition has long insisted on doing something for the citizens in the last months of this year. Previously, the government has earmarked almost 7 billion euros to help purchasing power, but this autumn would no longer be possible because it would no longer be possible from a technical point of view.
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This is how the European Commission wants to tackle the energy crisis this winter: 140 billion euros in excess profit tax and compulsory savings on consumption (+)
To the Greek example? Price cap and excess profit tax cause energy prices to fall spectacularly. “What are we waiting for in Belgium?” (+)
Russia no longer supplies oil or gas at price ceiling
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