Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has defended the planned gas price brake against criticism. “We accept social non-specificity so that we can help quickly,” said the Green politician in an ntv interview published on Sunday. The grants would also go to people who did not need them.
Habeck justified this with missing data. A gas supplier does not know how many people come to a gas meter. This is also correct. It is not clear whether an empty villa or an apartment with many residents is being heated. In addition, one does not know the income of the people who are supplied via a gas connection. “The alternative of tinkering for years in the closet until the perfect system is there would be a bad one and not one bit fairer. Because the help would then simply come too late,” argued Habeck.
The federal government wants to relieve gas customers from next year and take over some of their increased costs. First of all, there should be emergency aid in December, so that gas and district heating customers will have an advance payment waived. This aid alone is expected to cost taxpayers nine billion euros.
Interview
