News

We would like to keep you informed about the latest developments regarding instant relief (Soforthilfe) and gas price brake (Gaspreisbremse). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Key Account Manager.

Instant relief (Soforthilfe)

The Federal Government has decided to provide emergency aid for natural gas and heating customers. This means that the federal government will cover the cost of the December instalment (Dezember-Abschlag) for gas and heating. This is a significant relief for gas and district heating customers to bridge the period until the gas price brake (Gaspreisbremse) comes into force. The winter assistance under the Natural Gas and Heat Emergency Assistance Act (Erdgas-Wärme-Soforthilfegesetz, in short “EWSG“) provides for a one-off payment from federal funds to be made directly to the suppliers for all gas and heat customers in December. As a result, customers will not have to pay any instalments in December 2022.

The detailed implementation of the gas price cap has not yet been finalised. There is no need for you to take action at this stage.

We will keep you updated on further information on this page. In the meantime, please check the German authorities’ website (Website der Deutschen Bundesregierung) for the latest information.

Gas price brake (Gaspreisbremse) according to Natural Gas Heat Price Brake Act (Erdgas-Wärme-Preisbremsengesetz, in short “EWPBG”)

To ease the burden on households and industry caused by the sharp rise in energy prices, the Federal Government of Germany has decided to introduce a price brake for natural gas at the end of 2022. The associated reliefs are financed from federal funds.

The gas price brake works in the following way:

In general, a distinction is made between household customers and smaller industrial customers according to § 3 (please note the information provided in the annex) and larger industrial customers according to § 6 of EWPG.

The following provision applies according to §3 EWPG:

For 80 percent of the annual consumption forecast at SLP offtake points (Abnahmestelle) or the measured consumption of the calendar year 2021 at RLM offtake points (Abnahmestelle) the gas price is capped at 12 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) including network charges, metering costs and state-initiated price components including VAT (reference price). The state pays the difference to the energy supplier’s contractually agreed gas price.

According to the EWPBG, an application must be submitted for RLM offtake points (Abnahmestelle) if relief under § 3 is desired. This application is not necessary if you have already received immediate relief (Soforthilfe) from us.

If gas consumption exceeds 80 percent of the annual consumption forecast, consumers pay the contractually agreed commodity price.

Of course, we also take the gas price brake into account for your monthly instalment payments. The relief amount is distributed proportionally over the months. For the months of January and February a retroactive relief applies, the so-called relief extension. This will be included in your instalment payment for the month of March.

The following provision applies according to §6 EWPG:

According to § 6 EWPBG larger industrial customers are granted the following relief:

For 70 percent of the annual consumption in 2021, the gas price is capped at 7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), excluding network charges, measurement costs and state-initiated price components including VAT (reference price). The state pays the difference to the energy supplier’s contractually agreed gas price.

If gas consumption exceeds 70 percent of the annual consumption in 2021, consumers pay the agreed contract price. The Act sets limits of the relief amounts (Höchstgrenzen). These depend on the industry and whether the company is affected by high energy prices.

In general, the maximum limit is EUR 150,000.00 per offtake point (Abnahmestelle) and per calendar month, as long as the company has not submitted a self-declaration in accordance with § 22 EWPBG and has not missed any of the specified deadlines.

In any case:

We would like to point out that our customers must inform us in accordance with § 3 (5) EWPBG if they are not eligible, e.g., due to sanctions. Special regulations also apply to hospitals and CHP plants, for example.

We would also like to inform you that the EWPBG sets limits for relief amounts (Höchstgrenzen). If you, as a customer, wish to make a claim that exceeds these limits, you should send us a self-declaration in accordance with § 22 EWPBG by 31 March 2023 at the latest.

Please make sure you are fully informed about the provisions and reporting requirements of the EWPBG. The Act can be found at the following link: www.bundesgesetzblatt.de. Further publications, e.g., on the website of the Ministry BMWK or in the trade press, are certainly of help.

The EWPBG will remain in force until the end of 2023 but can be extended by the Federal Government for a further period of four months until 30 April 2024. The agreed contract price for the delivery period applies again to all energy consumption after the end of the gas price brake.

OMV GAS explicitly points out the cost-minimizing benefits of energy savings.

Please use the dedicated e-mail address gaspreisbremse-de@omv.com to send us your messages, questions and suggestions.

OMV GAS does not assume any liability whatsoever for the completeness of the lists, the correctness of the contents and the legal references. This letter does not constitute legal advice in any way whatsoever.

In accordance with §§ 4 (4) S.2, 12 (4) S.2 EWPBG, we would like to draw our customers' attention to the fact that even under the conditions of the gas price brake, or even irrespective of it, a price comparison on the market should not be omitted.

OMV GAS assumes no liability whatsoever for the completeness of lists, the correctness of the content and legal references. This information does not constitute legal advice in any way.