On Friday, January 21, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy issued regulations for housing cooperatives and co-owners to be covered by the electricity benefits system. December and January benefits will be paid in February for most people.
The new regulations apply to the jointly measured consumption of electricity for households in housing cooperatives, housing cooperatives, housing joint stock companies and housing associations not divided into sections. They are defined in the law as housing companies.
– I know that many were concerned that jointly metered electricity consumption in condominiums and condominiums would not be covered benefits system for electricity. I'm glad we now have an electricity cost system for large consumption items such as electric heating and hot water. Thanks to this, housing cooperatives and co-owners are covered by the electricity benefits system for households, says the Minister of Petroleum and Energy Marte Mjøs Persen.
The support is intended to benefit households
The benefit covers the consumption of households in housing enterprises as measured in common. This does not apply to electricity consumption for other purposes in the building, such as running a business. The legislation places a responsibility on housing companies to ensure that support actually benefits households.
The regulations are mainly calculated in the same way as in the Electricity Benefits Act. To adapt the program to farms in housing companies, the regulations contain some special rules for housing companies with high energy consumption. Also for housing companies conducting other activities within a specific scope in the building:
- No benefits are expected in the case of jointly measured consumption, which in total exceeds 5000 kWt per month per dwelling. The housing association must report the violation to the network company.
- Housing cooperatives with a common heating or ventilation system must also notify the electricity grid company if more than 20% of the heated space is used by non-cooperative households.
- The network company adjusts the benefit amount according to any reports.
The electricity allowance, which is granted or quoted on the basis of electricity meters in an individual residential premises, is additional. The regulations apply electricity consumption in the same period as under the Electricity Benefits Act.
The expansion of the program is to cost approximately NOK 300 million
Parallel to the amendment to the regulations, the government submits a proposal to the Storting regarding the effects of appropriation of extending the system of benefits for electricity. The Act on Amendments to the State Budget for 2022 states that the expansion of the program is to cost approximately NOK 300 million. The tax relief for electricity will apply from December 2021 to March 2022.
Source: regjeringen
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