Government grants to help pay utility bills – Northern Times

If you are having trouble paying your electricity bill, you may be able to take advantage of certain government benefits, subsidies, and assistance.

See how energy price caps affect you

For most households, the government places limits on what suppliers can charge for gas and electricity. This is called the energy price cap. Starts January 1, 2023 and continues through December 31, 2023.

The amount you pay depends on how much gas and electricity you use. All Dutch households and small users will pay up to €1.45 per m3 of gas and €0.40 per kWh of electricity. The cap applies only to his first 1,200 cubic meters of gas and 2,900 kWh of electricity used throughout the year. Any additional gas or electricity consumption will be charged at the rate indicated on your individual energy contract.

No action is required. Energy price caps are automatically applied to all types of energy tariffs.

Get a €380 energy discount from the government

Since the New Year is still ahead, Dutch families receive Energy charges of €190 have been refunded in the last two months of 2022. While this doesn’t completely solve the problem of high energy costs, the authorities can help ease the burden on most consumers.

Who is entitled to government energy discounts?

All households with a home electrical connection receive a subsidy to help with their energy bills in November and December. You don’t have to do anything to receive the money, and you don’t have to pay it back.

How you receive your discount depends on your energy supplier. Energy suppliers may choose to pay their contributions in the following ways:

• You transfer 190 euros by direct debit in November and December.
• Deduct €190 from your monthly bill for November and December or €380 from your final electricity bill.
• We will send part of the contribution to you and deduct the rest from your monthly or final electricity bill.
• Deduct €190 from outstanding bills or payment arrangements for November and December.
  After the contract ends, transfer €380 by direct debit.

The power company will tell you how to transfer the funds.

What if my monthly payment is less than €190?

You are still entitled to receive the full amount. If your energy supplier has a policy of transferring the full 190 euros to your bank account, the monthly payment will not be a problem. If you pay monthly, you can pay the balance within the month. Another option is to deduct the remaining amount from the final payment.

Am I eligible for a one-time energy allowance?

Low-income households are also eligible to receive an additional €1,300 to help pay their electricity bills in 2023. This is a welcome perk, but whether or not you receive it depends on a number of factors, including where you live and your monthly income. In general, you can apply for an energy allowance if your monthly income is less than €1,310.05 (single) or €1,871.50 (cohabiting couple).when you receive bijstandsuitkering (Social Assistance Payments), IOAW, IOAZ, or Bbz benefits, you automatically receive benefits. However, some municipalities have gone further.Municipality of Groningen AnnouncedFor example, a person whose income is between 120% and 140% of the social assistance standard is eligible for a lump sum payment of €600. You can claim this energy bonus until December 31, 2022.

All of the above measures follow a plan to spend around €23.5bn in 2023 to combat high inflation, especially for low-wage people, as inflation in the Netherlands surged to 17.1% in September 2022. .