No energy support for all students (yet)

No energy support for all students (yet)

The government does not wish to discuss with municipalities how to compensate all students living away from home for increased energy costs. This emerged during the General Financial Considerations last week. The Lower House spoke with Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag about next year’s national budget. Support for increased energy costs was also discussed at length.
 

Farid Azarkan of DENK pointed out that municipalities are “at a loss” over students and energy costs. He requested the cabinet to talk to municipalities again. Previously, the cabinet has always said that students should not receive an energy surcharge because their situations are so different: it would not be right to give them all the money.
 

• In Delft, a special compensation scheme was adopted to compensate students for high energy costs.

In the meantime, student union LSVb and student housing associations are calling for a compensation scheme for students. As of January 2023, an average Dutch household of two can expect a rebate of up to EUR 2,500. This energy cap will also apply to households that use shared energy sources like communal heating or district heating, for example. Many students will hardly benefit from this because they have shared energy contracts. 

Given this situation, LSVb and Kences, the umbrella organisation of large student housing providers such as DUWO and SSH, wrote a letter (in Dutch) to the responsible ministers Jetten, Kaag, Adriaansens, Schouten and De Jonge stating that, when the energy cap is worked out, it must ensure that students receive equal compensation. (HOP, BB/PvT)