Haushalt: Koalition findet bisher kein Geld für Stromsteuer-Senkung

The coalition led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has so far failed to find funding for the significant reduction in the electricity tax for all, as reported by Deutsche Presse-Agentur. This has been the case across both coalition factions. The topic, however, is off the table: theoretically, Union and SPD could still finance the necessary reduction to the European minimum level of about 5.4 billion euros during the budget finalization session tomorrow, which will determine the final 2027 budget before it is voted on by the Bundestag at the end of November.

But given the already tight budget, there seem to be no room for maneuver. Therefore, it is unlikely that the discharge at the beginning of the year, as desired by Merz, will materialize. The electricity tax has been a priority for the chancellor, with Merz having made a strong case for further reduction and even calling it "a certain priority over other energy policy measures."

Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) had shown openness to a reduction but made clear that he saw no room in the budget and called on the Union to propose financing alternatives. A reduction to the European minimum level would have cost around 5.4 billion euros annually. The European minimum electricity tax is 0.1 cent per kilowatt-hour, while Germany's current tax stands at 2.05 cents per kilowatt-hour, resulting in a difference of 1.95 cents per kilowatt-hour.

This reduction would have led to a discharge of 3 to 7 euros per month for a three-person household with an annual consumption of 4,000 kilowatt-hours, or around 7.75 euros per month for a two-person household with a consumption of 2,800 kilowatt-hours, or about 5 euros per month for a single-person household with a consumption of 1,500 kilowatt-hours.