Merkel Says Vulnerable Consumers Need Energy Bill Help Amid Rising Prices

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Merkel Says Vulnerable Consumers Need Energy Bill Help Amid Rising Prices

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday that vulnerable consumers needed help paying electricity bills amid the dual pressure of rising fuel prices and Europe's drive for cleaner energy

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2021) Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday that vulnerable consumers needed help paying electricity bills amid the dual pressure of rising fuel prices and Europe's drive for cleaner energy.

"We must make sure that energy remains affordable to the poorer groups. It is very, very urgent when we take the rising energy prices into account," she told a meeting of German city mayors in Erfurt.

Merkel said that power supplies were particularly susceptible to the changes that Germany needed to adopt as it seeks to transition to a low-carbon economy.

Natural gas prices roared back this week after the German energy regulator suspended the certification process of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, dashing hopes for a quick end to the gas crunch. Prices began rising in August, leading to higher-than-expected energy bills for consumers and contributing to inflation across the bloc.