Politicians are thinking about how minimum income recipients can be encouraged to save gas.

So far, there has been little incentive for them, since the job center covers the heating costs for Hartz IV recipients, pensioners on basic security, asylum seekers and other beneficiaries.

The money comes from the federal and local governments.

The group comprises nearly seven million individuals, 8 percent of the population.

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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Nina Scheer, energy policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, is in favor of paying them a state bonus if they use less energy than in the previous year.

"The energy saving bonus can provide a concrete incentive to save in the area of ​​thermal energy," she told the FAZ.

Inflation also affects beneficiaries

Scheer made it clear that inflation is also hitting this group hard: "They are acutely burdened by rising electricity bills and general price increases, which are partly due to higher gas prices." The Düsseldorf economist Jens Südekum, who developed a reimbursement model together with Scheer, confirmed to include those in need: "This is exactly where our energy saving bonus could help: the premium for each kilowatt hour saved compared to the previous year's consumption would have to be passed on for the most part in the basic security area."

In the traffic light coalition, the FDP is also thinking about the topic.

Lukas Köhler, Vice-Chairman of the parliamentary group, suggested that recipients of unemployment benefit II should participate financially in falling heating costs.

If you use less gas, you get a large part of the money saved.

The rest remains with the state, so that the taxpayer also benefits.

City Day: "Everyone must contribute"

The energy policy spokesman for the opposition Union faction, Andreas Jung, is open to such suggestions.

“Everyone has to contribute to saving gas and reducing energy consumption.

The group of beneficiaries is quite significant."

It is the task of the federal government to make proposals for this in a comprehensive energy saving pact.”

Helmut Dedy, General Manager of the Association of German Cities, appealed: "It is the task of society as a whole to save more energy now." But it will not change the fact that the municipalities bear the costs for a warm apartment for those on basic social security.

It is the consumption that is decisive, not the costs.

"If consumption remains the same as in previous years, but heating costs increase, people will not get into trouble," Dedy assured the FAZ

He described electricity and heat as "basic needs" and pointed out that electricity costs are part of the standard rate.

Therefore, the tariff increase will not be accepted there.

"That has to change: The cities expect the federal government to absorb the rising cost of living for people on basic social security," Dedy demanded.

"One-off payments don't help with monthly additional burdens."