Many companies are sounding the alarm because of the enormous increase in electricity prices. After years of taking advantage of cheap electricity costs on the free market, the rude awakening follows: Now it’s getting expensive! Affected companies must therefore be able to return to the safe lap of basic facilities, the trade association demands.
SVP Economics Minister Guy Parmelin (62) was open to trade concerns and had a working group investigate the matter. Suggestions for unburdening budgets were also discussed. However, research now shows that more than a dozen measures have been analyzed in a basic paper. Some of it was rumored to have been rejected at the last Federal Council meeting a week ago.
The government’s position seems to be gaining ground that private households do not need to intervene. On the one hand, because energy prices are falling again in some cases. On the other hand, because the Federal Council hopes for some wage dynamics – ie wage increases – in the economy.
Fewer companies affected than feared?
Only aid to companies under threat of existence should be deeply pursued. The Swiss Federal Energy Agency had to clarify in advance how many companies actually purchase electricity on the free market and how many of them actually have problems.
The result: about 34,000 companies obtain their electricity from the market. However, many of them still have long-term contracts with lower electricity prices. Apparently, only a few thousand are currently affected by massive price increases. We are talking about more than ten percent of the companies on the free market.
As Parmelin’s economic department has already made clear, the return to basic service should only be possible on condition that other customers in the basic service, ie small businesses and private households, are not affected. In addition, returnees must commit themselves over several years. And they would have to pay a surcharge to gradually pay off the additional costs for the basic suppliers.
Will the Federal Council keep its hands off it?
However, it is quite possible that the Federal Council will not make a decision this Wednesday on how to arrange the return. According to research by Blick, it is even questionable whether the state government is really pursuing the subject. In concerned circles it sounds more like the problem at the companies is not as big as feared.
The Bundesrat also came to this conclusion because it regards the companies and cantons as an obligation. He hopes that lower electricity prices will also be possible on the free market with longer contracts.
In addition, many electricity companies are owned by the cantons and municipalities. They should not simply be able to delegate their responsibility to the federal government. So far, no measure has found a majority in the Federal Council, various sources say.
Bregy suggests regulation of hardship
A kind of hardship clause could perhaps arise if a company actually threatens to collapse as a result of the burden of the electricity price. Such a solution suggests the leader of the middle group, Philipp Matthias Bregy (44).
“If a company is in acute need due to the sharp increase in electricity prices and does not receive a loan from the banks, then support with hardship aid, as we know from Corona, should be looked at,” he tells Blick. In this way bankruptcies could be avoided. “However, I hear from the banks that in most cases they can reach the companies, for example by increasing the credit limits in the meantime.”
You should have heard something similar in the Bundesrat. At Wednesday’s meeting, the government will address the issue of energy and electricity prices, but companies plagued by electricity prices should not expect any quick help.