Both private households and the skilled trades benefit from the electricity price brake:
- Private households and small and medium-sized enterprises with electricity consumption of less than 30,000 kWh per year: You pay a maximum of 40 cents gross per kilowatt hour for 80 percent of the annual consumption forecast. For the remaining consumption, you pay the current market price.
- Businesses that consume more than 30,000 kilowatt-hours per year: receive 70 percent of their projected electricity consumption at a net labor price of 13 cents per kilowatt-hour.
When does the electricity price brake come into effect? And what do businesses have to do to qualify for it? The electricity price brake will apply from January 2023. You will receive the relief amounts for January and February in March 2023. Fortunately, you will not have any more administrative work: You will receive the relief automatically. You may already have received mail from your energy supplier. This is because the relief is provided via its statement or via the landlord's or landlady's operating cost statement.
The gas price brake also benefits private households and your business. It also starts from March 2023, with retroactive crediting for January and February:
- Private households as well as SMEs with gas consumption of less than 1.5 million kWh per year: You receive 80 percent of your consumption for 12 cents gross per kilowatt hour. For district heating, the amount is 9.5 cents per kilowatt hour for 80 percent of consumption.
- Businesses with more than 1.5 million kWh per year: The net labor price is capped at 7 cents. District heating is capped at 7.5 cents net. The amounts apply to 70 percent of consumption.
After the upper limit of 450 euros was raised to 520 euros in October 2022, there will be further news for mini-jobs in 2023. Namely, with regard to the flat-rate contributions. The U1 levy (reimbursement in the event of illness) will increase from 0.9 percent to 1.1 percent. The U2 levy (reimbursement for maternity) will fall from 0.29 percent to 0.24 percent.
The limit will rise to 2,000 euros on January 1, 2023. The transitional range is therefore now between 520.01 and 2,000 euros.
The yellow slip no longer exists. Since January 1, 2023, it has been mandatory for companies to take action themselves when employees report sick. You call up the electronic sickness certificate from the health insurance fund (eAU for short).
The new rule on certificates of incapacity for work applies to people with statutory insurance. For privately insured persons, everything remains the same.
It is part of the third relief package and is to be available as a Germany ticket from April 3, 2023. You can use the ticket from May 1. At least that's the current plan.
It works in a similar way to the 9-euro ticket from last year: You can use public transport throughout Germany with the ticket. That means you can ride the subway, streetcar, S-Bahn, bus and regional trains. You can also use the regional trains of Deutsche Bahn. Important to know: The 49-euro ticket does not apply to long-distance travel. You have to buy an extra ticket for ICE, IC and EC trains.
The Deutschlandticket is intended as a monthly subscription. It renews automatically every month and can be canceled monthly. You can buy it in the official app, but also at counters and sales points of the transport companies in your region.
The minimum wage in the electrical trade is rising: As of January 1, 2023, the collective agreement states 13.40 euros. Previously it was 12.90 euros. This increase is generally binding: It doesn't matter whether your company is a member of a guild and is therefore bound by a collective agreement or not. All employees in the electrical trade benefit from the new minimum wage.
Remember what an issue the holidays were last year? Many employees were annoyed because a whole eight holidays fell on a weekend. Things look better in 2023. Our table shows you an overview of the public holidays in Germany.
Finally, some good news for all companies that groan under the chaos of slips of paper every time they are audited: starting this year, the German Pension Insurance will conduct audits digitally.
Do you also want to change something in 2023? And get rid of the chaos of notes? The Meisterwerk app helps you do just that: With fluid Dispatching planning and documentation, you can find what you're looking for right away.
