Ending high government subsidies in 2023, which have so far covered 85% to 94% of growth electricity puts government. No funds exist to subsidize it at such high rates. energy cost for households and businesses, and it looks like the government will start changing the mix support measures. Of course, with coverage up to 94% of increases, we reached a point where several households had zero bills and others also had small refunds. And this despite the fact that the state subsidy price exceeded the price of the provider.

Such a policy cannot be continued into 2023, government sources say, as the previous fiscal conditions do not exist. Inevitably, the government will have to “scissor” subsidies as budget it cannot afford to subsidize such high levels for so long. As Deputy Minister of Finance T. Skilakakis told Pavlos Tsimas on SKAI radio, by 2023 we must:

one. Replace gas, which has a very high price, with other fuels.

2. To save energy.

Everything indicates that the government will change the set of support measures.

3. To protect the most vulnerable, households and businesses.

According to the information, the government seems to be abandoning the income criterion at this stage, since, according to the same sources, this is an imperfect tool, socially unfair to workers and pensioners, given that tax evasion and concealment of taxable material reaches high levels. . . However, an electricity consumption ceiling will be considered as households are no longer interested in using electricity for heating as oil is now much cheaper. As Mr. Skilakakis noted, today gas prices are the same as if oil cost 500 euros per barrel or gasoline 6-7 euros per liter. And this exorbitant price of natural gas is passed on to electricity bills, since 30-40% of electricity is produced from gas.

Based on the above, margins for 2023 are frighteningly meager. According to the first calculations, next year the tax surplus will reach 1.5 billion euros, but this amount will have to finance other previously announced measures, such as the abolition of solidarity collection. for civil servants and pensioners worth about 470 million euros. At the same time, in 2023, pensioners will receive the first increase in many years. Part of the increase was included in the stabilization program for 2023, but the amount is higher and must be covered by tax overruns.

What remains is by no means enough to subsidize electricity bills for households and businesses. It is for this reason that the government stops horizontal measures, otherwise the size of the subsidy will be significantly reduced.

As Mr Skilakakis noted, for 2023 “we will prepare a conservative budget, make some assumptions in cooperation with European institutions and step by step move into this regime of extreme uncertainty.”