Dutch government forgot tenants in energy bill support measures: Woonbond
The measures announced by the Dutch government to compensate people for high energy costs do not sufficiently help tenants, according to the Woonbond. Much of the aid is going to homeowners, while tenants are far more likely to struggle with energy poverty, the tenants' association said.
Last week, the Cabinet announced €967 million in measures to help people cope with increased energy and fuel prices due to the Iran war. For example, employees will get a higher travel allowance, and trucks are exempt from road tax.
The package also includes an extra €180 million for an existing heat fund. Homeowners can borrow money from this fund to make their homes more energy efficient.
The Woonbond points out that tenants are not helped by this measure, while they are much more likely than homeowners to struggle with energy poverty - a low income combined with a high energy bill.
The government is also pushing €195 million into the Energy Emergency Fund to help low-income households with their energy bills. The money comes from other poverty reduction funds.
“So the Cabinet is not investing extra, but is shifting money that already had an allocation. At the bottom line, tenants gain nothing from this,” said Woonbond director Zeno Winkels.
