Electricity price relief: Merz announces measures for households!

Electricity price relief: Merz announces measures for households!

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), together with the black-red coalition, has announced significant reductions in electricity prices. The measures, which are due to come into force from January 2026, aim to reduce high energy costs in Germany. Loud Ruhr24 These relief measures were presented as part of the 2025 budget draft, which envisages record spending of 503 billion euros.

Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) explained the measures, which are part of an extensive 500 billion euro investment package. These investments are necessary to improve the economic conditions in Germany. High energy costs are seen as a significant locational disadvantage for the industry, which is why quick action is required.

Concrete measures to relieve the burden

The planned measures to reduce electricity prices include three central points:

• Abschaffung der Gasspeicherumlage: Private Haushalte werden von den Kosten für die Gasspeicherumlage befreit, was eine unmittelbare Entlastung bringt.
• Verstetigung der Stromsteuer-Senkung: Die Reduzierung der Stromsteuer für die Industrie sowie die Land- und Forstwirtschaft wird dauerhaft beibehalten, wobei private Haushalte jedoch außen vor bleiben.
• Bund übernimmt mehr Netzausbau-Kosten: Der Staat wird einen größeren Anteil der Kosten für den Ausbau der Stromnetze tragen, was die zukünftige Versorgungssicherheit stärken soll.

In addition, the electricity tax will be reduced to the European minimum, which should provide immediate relief for all households. Loud Green Energy Germany Savings of up to 100 euros per year could be possible, which would directly relieve the financial situation of many families.

Criticism and challenges

However, the implementation of these measures also raises concerns. It remains unclear whether the desired relief of at least five cents per kilowatt hour will actually be achieved. With an average electricity consumption of 3,500 kWh, these savings could theoretically amount to 175 euros per year, and would particularly benefit households with high energy consumption and low income.

The opposition is dissatisfied: The Greens accuse the government of doing too little to protect the climate, while the Left criticizes the high defense spending while at the same time striving for relief for industry. There are also plans to permanently cap network fees in order to ensure fairer and more transparent distribution and to reduce dependence on regional electricity price differences.

In order to actively benefit from the planned relief, consumers can compare tariffs, use price guarantees and new customer bonuses or switch to cheaper providers. A change of provider could bring savings of up to 600 euros annually in addition to the legal relief. With these measures, the federal government promises a fundamental improvement in market conditions for all citizens.