In order to cushion current inflation and rising energy prices, the City of Vienna has so far presented three pillars of Vienna Energy Support Plus. Pillar 1 brings 200 euros directly to the account for people who are particularly affected without an application and is about to be paid out. In pillar 2, a much larger group of beneficiaries, namely 210,000 Viennese households, can apply for partial coverage of arrears and billing directly with the energy company (up to EUR 500 per household). Pillar 3 supports measures for thermal renovation, energy-efficient new construction and conversion to sustainable forms of energy. A fourth pillar totaling 130 million euros is new: the Vienna Energy Bonus ’22.
The Vienna Energy Bonus ’22
Two thirds of Viennese households, i.e. more than one million Viennese, can benefit from this new support, which will be paid out by application in the fourth quarter by the end of the year. 200 euros will be transferred in cash to an account for each household entitled to receive the benefit. Combined with all current energy support measures in Vienna, those who are particularly affected receive a total of up to 1,000 euros in relief from the City of Vienna. “The Vienna Energy Bonus ’22 is a direct and accurate measure to cushion inflation for many Viennese households,” explains Mayor Michael Ludwig. “It was important to me that the city government took low-threshold measures to support the people of Vienna as quickly as possible.”
Financial help for small and medium-sized businesses
The new fourth pillar is intended to cushion additional costs for a broad section of the population in Vienna, a total of around 650,000 Viennese households. Eligible for the Vienna Energy Bonus ’22 are those registered in Vienna with a gross annual income of 40,000 euros for single-person households (corresponds to a gross monthly salary of 2,835 euros including holiday and Christmas bonus) or 100,000 euros total annual income for multi-person households. “More than a million people benefit from the Vienna Energy Bonus ’22, which extends far into medium-sized companies. We support the people of Vienna where they need it most,” says Finance City Councilor Peter Hanke.
Further specific measures by the City of Vienna to cushion price increases
In view of the current challenges, the City of Vienna is taking the following additional measures:
- Fairnesskommission: A newly established fairness commission, which meets every six months, will monitor the international energy markets and ensure that cheaper purchase prices are passed on to customers in a timely manner.
- Installment payments of up to 18 months: Wien Energie offers all customers voluntarily installment payments for district heating, electricity and gas in order to make arrears affordable in the long term.
- Voluntary Suspension of Shutdowns: In the coming winter (December 2022 to the end of February 2023), Wien Energie has voluntarily committed itself not to shutting down electricity, gas and heat.
- Loyalty program for customers of Wiener Stadtwerke: The City of Vienna commissions Wiener Stadtwerke to develop a loyalty program for its customers.
- District heating ombudsman: In addition to the general hotline, Viennese district heating customers have a central point of contact for all their questions about bills, installment payments and all information about district heating.
- Forgoing dividends: As the sole owner, the City of Vienna will waive dividend payments from Wiener Stadtwerke to the city budget in 2022 and 2023. Instead, every euro generated should be used for investments in the energy transition and the best possible customer price.
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