The government will give a tax-free check to some of the families who are hardest hit by the high heating prices. This is according to Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister Dan Jørgensen (S), who on Thursday called the parties in the Folketing to negotiations.
- We have now proposed that those Danes who are particularly hard hit in these times of rising heating prices - that is, primarily gas customers who have individual gas boilers, or people who have district heating where gas is the primary source - will receive a financial handout, says Dan Jørgensen.
There are around 400,000 Danes with individual gas boilers and around 40,000 with district heating with gas as the source.
- We are proposing a form of income graduation, where we do not offer this check to people with very high incomes. Exactly where the limit should be, we must discuss with the parties in the Folketing, says Dan Jørgensen.
However, he believes that it should be an amount "that can be felt". In the budget agreement for 2022, 100 million DKK was allocated to the municipalities, which can then provide a subsidy to, for example, cash benefit recipients and pensioners who already have a tight budget. But now, according to the climate minister, the government will find "significantly more money".
- It is clear that this will of course cost money. And it is clear that we are talking significantly more money than the 100 million DKK that has been set aside. It should be seen as an additional measure, says Dan Jørgensen.
The Red and Green Party's finance spokesman, Rune Lund, says that helping gas customers is not enough. The rising electricity prices must also be covered.
- The government's proposal is too unambitious, because it does not cover the rising electricity prices, which also have a broad impact. The ambition must be increased, and we must have a specific billion on the table from the government, says Rune Lund.
The finance spokesman believes that at least 2.7 billion, which corresponds to the amount the state saves in support for renewable energy, should be allocated to general tax breaks on energy. The other supporting party, the Radical Party, believes that the focus should instead be on phasing out gas.
- We can target help to the poorest - but we should not provide hidden state support for gas in general. On the contrary. This crisis shows that gas must be completely removed from the heating supply. For the sake of the climate, the economy and European security, says the Radical Party's climate and energy spokesman, Rasmus Helveg.
Ritzau
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