The planned surcharge for all gas customers is expected to apply from October 1st. It remains to be seen for a while how much the gas price will increase for consumers. The amount of the surcharge should be published on the Internet by the end of August, according to circles of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It depends on which compensation claims the gas importers assert.
Section 26 of the Energy Security Act is to come into force by ministerial decree: From October, the difference between the current tariffs and the extra costs of the importers can then be determined and distributed equally among all customers, government representatives said. Municipal utilities, for example, can then also pass them on to household customers. First, the allocation is calculated on the basis of an assumption of the costs and then offset against the actual costs afterwards. Payments will probably not be due directly from October but a little later.
Last week Chancellor Olaf Scholz indicated an increase in gas prices by 2 cents per kilowatt hour and spoke of additional annual costs of 200 or 300 euros for a family of four. The surcharge should apply for a year and a half, i.e. until the end of March 2024.