Fuel bonuses and measures against high bills: green light for the Energy Decree, worth 1.3 billion
There is also a "business saving" rule, with which "the closure of over 50 thousand small businesses is avoided". 17 million euros have been allocated for scholarships
The Council of Ministers approved the decree law "Urgent measures on energy, interventions to support purchasing power and to protect savings, as well as extension of regulatory deadlines and tax payments".
The measure is worth around 1.3 billion and provides for the «extension and strengthening of the measures against high bills and high energy costs for families» but also «support for families for transport, with the extension of the “Dedicated to you” card to purchase fuel and refinance the Tpl bonus".
The electricity and gas bonuses have therefore been confirmed, but a contribution of around 80 euros has also been introduced to help less well-off families supply their means of transport.
The decree also includes a rule defined as "business protection", with which, it is underlined, « the closure of over 50 thousand small businesses is averted : those who carry out the voluntary reform and pay the sums due will be exempted from the accessory sanction of suspension of the license".
And again, the allocation for scholarships for eligible non-beneficiary students is approximately 17.4 million euros , which will cover the entire audience of almost 5 thousand students included in the rankings of the regional bodies for the right to study, but which for lack of funds they were unable to access the subsidy.
THE EXPENSIVE BILLS – To contain the effects of rising prices in the gas sector, until the end of the year Arera will "keep the rates of the tariff components relating to general system charges to zero".
The social bonuses for electricity have been confirmed: «In the fourth quarter of 2023, domestic customers holding a social electricity bonus will be recognized with an extraordinary contribution, increasing with the number of members of the family unit according to the typologies already foreseen for the same social bonus» .
The 5% VAT rate also remains in force on methane gas intended for combustion for civil and industrial uses accounted for «in the invoices issued for estimated or actual consumption in the months of October, November and December 2023» and «if the supplies are accounted for on the basis of estimated consumption", the same percentage of the Value Added Tax "also applies to the difference between the estimated amounts and the amounts recalculated on the basis of actual consumption referable, also as a percentage, to the months of October, November and December 2023".
THE PETROL BONUS – The decree provides for a contribution of around 80 euros to «support the purchasing power of less well-off families», recognized to the beneficiaries of the social card (those with ISEE not exceeding 15 thousand euros). The resource allocation rises to 600 million euros for 2023, therefore with an increase of 100 million. Within thirty days of the entry into force of the provision, the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, in concert with the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Agricultural Policies, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, will issue a decree to establish « the amount of the additional benefit per single family unit" and the "methods and conditions of accreditation of companies authorized to sell fuel that adhere to pump price cost containment plans".
THE CONCESSIONS – The novelty, compared to the draft circulated in recent days, concerns access to the concessions, from 1 January 2024 also to companies which «in the year preceding the presentation of the application for granting the same concessions, have achieved an annual consumption of electricity not less than 1 GWh" and which comply with certain requirements. Furthermore, companies "are required to carry out an energy diagnosis", over which control is entrusted to Enea.
«With the energy decree, the government renews its action to support families and businesses in the difficult economic situation. Through measures to contain the price of gas and with the confirmation of social energy bonuses, the Executive confirms its concrete support for the weakest groups and businesses", comments the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto . Adding that «in this sense, a rule promoted by the Ministry to bring current legislation into conformity with the community framework in terms of support for energy-intensive companies, those with an electricity consumption exceeding one gigawatt, assumes particular importance. We are talking about four thousand companies in 116 industrial sectors operating in manufacturing, from paper mills to glass processing, which - concludes the Mase manager - would have had a clear repercussion from the lack of facilitation measures".
(Unioneonline/D)
