New electricity price subsidies to be announced Friday

The government is expected to announce new support measures for households and businesses Friday to offset the price increases caused by the international energy crisis.

Minister of Environment and Energy Costas Skrekas is expected to make the announcements at 10 am Friday, sources said Thursday night.

Kathimerini understands that, in subsidizing electricity prices, the government is giving priority to vulnerable households. Although it wants to extend subsidies as widely as possibly, it will certainly exclude second homes and holiday homes.

Grants are expected to be adjusted on a monthly basis depending on price fluctuations and of course funding opportunities. For January, however, the relevant ministries are seeking the greatest possible coverage of households, or even all of them, something that will depend on the resources available to them for financing and which will be secured again through auctions of pollution rights.

In addition, the government intends to support small and medium-sized enterprises, which are burdened with big price increases; the Ministry of Environment and Energy has submitted to the EU Directorate-General for Competition. (DGComp) a special subsidy program.

[Kathimerini/AMNA]