The ceiling for electricity and gas can count on little enthusiasm, yet last night the House of Representatives approved it after a long debate. There are many criticisms of the plan that should reduce the cost of the energy bill. But something is better than nothing, it seems.
Details of the plan were shared just this week with the House of Representatives in an 89-page document. The proposal comes after the cabinet and the energy companies last September reached an agreement on the maximum price.
This will apply to gas consumption up to 1200 cubic meters and electricity consumption up to 2900 kWh and should help reduce the Dutch’s energy bill. The scheme is valid for one year and is estimated to cost more than €11 billion. Although, according to the government, it can go up to tens of billions.
Concerns about possible large excess profits in energy companies
According to critical MPs, costs aren’t even the biggest issue. For example, there is dissatisfaction with the complicated processing, which means looking at consumption before and after the annual report. It’s different for everyone and therefore everyone gets a type own maximum price.
Proponents of the plan, as well as coalition parties including PvdA and GroenLinks, also have their concerns. For example, they fear that energy companies will continue to make substantial excess profits despite the plan. According to Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy), energy suppliers are “looking hard in the books” to prevent this from happening.
It also annoyed the room that the block connection arrangement is not in place yet. These are households that share a gas, heating or electricity connection, such as flats or student houses. Jetten promises to send that specific rulebook to the House on Friday. This is a total of 700,000 families, their compensation will not be paid in January, but will be applied retroactively.
Despite all objections and criticisms, the House accepted the grant scheme, which according to D66 is “far from ideal”. The VVD also thinks so. “It is an imperfect proposal”, said Silvio Erkens (VVD). Tom van der Lee of GroenLinks calls it a “pretty rude emergency link, but we’ll have to make do.”
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