On Thursday it was already announced that the cabinet had these plans, but then the date of 1 July was on the table. As energy prices continue to rise, the new compensation rule has been brought forward.
Refuel cheaper
The price for petrol now consists of about half excise duties and VAT, and the price of diesel about 40%. The excise duty will be reduced from 1 April by 17 cents per liter of unleaded petrol and 11 cents per liter of diesel. If you fill up on a full car or bus, you will notice this in your wallet anyway.
The new prices are for everyone, it doesn’t matter where you come from and what your income is. Incidentally, we are not the only country to lower excise duties: in Belgium they do the same.
VAT reduction
The effective date of the VAT reduction on energy, on the other hand, will remain on the planned 1 July. This applies to your gas and electricity bill. This means that energy is no longer subject to the high VAT rate of 21%, but is temporarily subject to the rate of 9%. Both compensation measures will in any case apply until the end of the year.
Additional Compensation
In addition, people with the lowest incomes will receive 600 euros extra in compensation, on top of the 200 euros they would already receive. This applies to about 800,000 households. This compensation goes through the municipalities and will be paid out as soon as possible.
Life is getting more expensive
Rising energy prices hit the wallet especially hard for lower-income households. This was also apparent this week from the figures of the Central Planning Bureau (CPB). According to the CPB, life will become no less than 5.2% more expensive this year.