For SMEs that consume a lot of energy, there will be an Energy Cost Compensation Scheme (TEK), Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Micky Adriaansens announced today. However, due to European state aid rules, the opening of the scheme may take until the beginning of 2023. The government is therefore working on other temporary support measures for energy-intensive SMEs that should provide relief from November.
The TEK, which will probably not go into effect until next year, will look at an entrepreneur's energy consumption and turnover. The compensation consists of part of the cost increase of 2022 and 2023. The aid is a percentage of the price increase of electricity and gas times the energy consumption of the SME, up to a maximum per company. The cabinet expects to be able to announce shortly what the percentages and the subsidy ceiling are, and who exactly the target group is.
Rates for small consumers more down
Just like households, smaller offices and self-employed persons can make use of the temporary price ceiling, the so-called small-scale consumer scheme. It was announced today that the government is raising the volume limit for energy by 500 kWh (from 2.400 kWh to 2.900 kWh). The limit for gas remains at 1.200 m3, as previously intended. The rate that the customer has to pay will also be lower: €1,45/m3 for gas and €0,40/kWh for electricity instead of €1,50/m3 and €0,70/kWh respectively.
"Entrepreneurs are often, just like consumers, willing to take steps to save and become more sustainable, but because of the nature of their production process or type of service, sometimes they simply cannot avoid high, i.e. intensive, energy consumption while at the core they have healthy business operations", says Adriaansens in a press release. "In addition, it is no longer possible for every SME to raise their prices enough to cover the extra energy costs and to maintain sufficient sales. That is why the cabinet is now offering extra support via the TEK."
Winter of 2022/2023 still to go
The scheme must comply with European state aid rules and be approved by the European Commission. As a result, the opening of the RVO may last until early 2023. Because there are energy-intensive SMEs who are already in acute problems and still have the winter of 2022/2023 to go, the government wants to have other measures ready from November to be able to (temporarily) reduce operating costs for entrepreneurs.
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