• Relaxation of the obligation to wear masks and tests
• Mandatory solar roof for new commercial and industrial buildings
• Refunds for heating oil, coal, pellets and liquid gas from the federal government
Further corona protection requirements are relaxed
The federal and state health ministers have decided that further nationwide corona protection regulations should expire on March 1st instead of the originally planned date of April 7th. This decision was announced by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The mask and testing requirement for employees and residents in health and care facilities will be lifted, but visitors to doctor’s offices, hospitals and care homes will still be required to wear a mask. According to Lauterbach, protecting vulnerable groups is worth it. The mask requirement for visitors should therefore end on April 7th.
From March 1st, there will no longer be any authorization for operating PCR test centers, as the Corona Test Ordinance only applies until February 28th, 2023. In other words, this could mean that there will soon be no more PCR test sites.
Gas and heat price brake
The gas and heat price brake will come into force from March 2023 and will also apply retrospectively to January and February 2023. This means that from January 2023, the cost of gas will be limited retrospectively so that 80 percent of annual consumption will be billed at a price of twelve cents per kilowatt hour for a year. The remaining 20 percent will continue to be charged in full. For tenants, it will still be a while before their ancillary cost deduction changes, as this depends on the landlord’s annual calculation.
In addition, the electricity price brake will come into force on March 1, 2023, which is intended to relieve millions of households in Germany. In addition, the price per kilowatt hour for 80 percent of the previous year’s consumption is capped at 40 cents.
Solar roof obligation for new buildings in the commercial and industrial sector
From March 1st, new commercial and industrial buildings must be equipped with solar power generation systems in order to meet the requirements of a solar roof obligation. This means that appropriately dimensioned solar roof systems must be installed and operated on the new buildings. This obligation also applies to projects that have already been planned, for which the complete building applications or building templates are only submitted to the responsible authorities after the specified date.
Relief for heating oil, coal and liquid gas
Citizens who use heating oil, pellets, liquid gas or coal to heat their house receive relief from the federal government. If any of these energy sources were purchased in 2022 before December 1st and the price was more than double the last purchase, a refund can be requested. However, in order to receive a refund, the following criteria must be met:
– Heating oil: at least 1.21 euros per liter
– Pellets: at least 0.41 euros per kilogram
– LPG: at least 0.99 euros per liter
– Coal: at least 0.17 euros per kilogram
It is also required to submit an application along with an affidavit. The maximum limit for the relief is 2,000 euros, while amounts under 100 euros are not paid out and only 80 percent of the additional costs are reimbursed. However, it is currently not possible to submit an application. According to the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and Social Affairs, “concrete implementation steps are being prepared at full speed”.
ALDI SÜD dispenses with brochures in paper form
Last but not least, there will be a change in March 2023 that will affect lovers of the paper ALDI SÜD brochure. There will be an unpleasant surprise as the mailbox will no longer contain the best offers in the future. The discounter does without the production of paper brochures in favor of its digital offer. With this measure, ALDI SÜD is following the example of its northern counterpart, which has been offering a WhatsApp brochure for some time.
Editorial office finanzen.net
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