BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann is critical of Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke’s push for a moratorium on electricity and gas cuts. “I am in doubt as to whether a blanket moratorium on electricity and gas locks is a good idea,” said the FDP politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Because people who can actually bear the costs will also benefit from such a moratorium.”
Buschmann further argued: “Unless one would set up very complicated rules on how to distinguish those who want to pay but can’t from those who can but don’t want to.” These rules are likely to lead to much argument and court hearings, he warned.
In the event of a further escalation of the energy crisis, the Greens politician Lemke had suggested protecting citizens from power and gas cuts in the event of late payments. “In the event of an absolute crisis, the Federal Network Agency may allow energy companies to pass on increased prices to consumers despite a price guarantee,” said the consumer protection minister. In such a crisis situation, nobody should have their electricity or gas cut off because they are behind on a bill./sku/DP/he