Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has promised a change in the planned gas levy.

The change is intended to prevent companies that do not need it from an economic point of view from benefiting from these additional payments by gas customers.

"That's why you have to work hard on the problem now.

And we do that too," said the Greens politician on Sunday evening on ZDF's "heute journal".

"We will solve this problem." The challenge is to ensure the supply of gas to the population and companies, "and that was in danger," explained Habeck.

Direct state aid to ailing companies is not a solution.

"Permanent financing by the state is not a business model, and that's why we had to choose this allocation," he explained.

"We need to see that these companies

Demands for a tax on special profits of the energy companies in Germany are becoming increasingly popular within the federal government.

Changes to how the gas levy is collected could be legally difficult, so an excess profit tax could be an elegant way of clawing back unwanted subsidies.

One possible option would be to levy a tax only on companies that benefit from the gas surcharge, according to coalition circles.

The scope of the tax should be limited to a maximum of 5 to 8 percent of the 34 billion euro volume of the gas surcharge, said some of the people who did not want to be named.

In the interview, the Green politician warned against judging the good filling level at the gas storage facilities as a relaxation.

The stored gas should "be withdrawn again as a reserve" in a possibly tense situation in winter - but how stable the situation will then be, "no one can now predict".

The gas storage facilities are already 82 percent full and should soon reach the level of 85 percent targeted for October.

“We only got it so full because consumption went down in the summer.

And that's why the appeal is still correct: we have to bring gas consumption down in Germany," warned the minister.

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr demanded that technical errors should be eliminated before the cabinet meeting.

"We have to be careful that state intervention does not make the energy crisis worse," he said "Bild" (Monday).

The gas levy should under no circumstances lead to extra returns for companies.

SPD MP Ralf told the newspaper: "The exam in Meseberg is the right place and the right time to renegotiate the gas levy.