News item | 04-10-2022 | 15:00
In addition to households, companies of all sizes have also been hit hard by the sharp rise in energy costs. The government has completed its inventory of options for targeted support to SMEs that cannot escape high consumption. For these so-called energy-intensive SMEs, the Energy Cost Compensation Scheme (TEK) will be introduced. Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) today informed the House of Representatives about setting up the TEK.
The TEK is based on the energy consumption and turnover of an entrepreneur. The compensation then consists of part of the cost increase this year and in 2023. Energy-intensive SMEs will then receive support in the amount of a percentage to be determined of the increase in the energy price (gas and electricity) for their energy consumption up to a maximum to be determined. per company (subsidy ceiling). Just like households, smaller offices and self-employed persons can make use of the temporary price ceiling, the so-called small-scale consumer scheme.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (EZK): “Entrepreneurs are often prepared, just like consumers, to take steps to save and become more sustainable, but because of the nature of their production process or type of service, sometimes they simply cannot avoid high, i.e. intensive, energy consumption while in the have a sound business at the core. Moreover, it is no longer possible for every SME to raise their prices enough to cover the extra energy costs and to maintain sufficient sales. That is why the cabinet is now providing additional support via the TEK.”
Conditions and structure of TEK clear in the short term
The government expects to be able to announce the conditions of the TEK in terms of target group, the total budget, the percentages and the maximum support per company in the short term. Such a scheme must comply with European state aid rules and be approved by the European Commission. As a result, actual opening through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) may last until the beginning of 2023.
That is not enough for energy-intensive SMEs who are already in acute problems and still have the winter of 2022/2023 to go. That is why the aim is to have other measures ready from November to be able to (temporarily) reduce the operating expenses for entrepreneurs. The cabinet is working out the options for this as soon as possible.