Germany: Associations of the Waterpark, Spa and Health Resort Industry Call for Correction of the “Gas Price Cap”

In a letter to Federal Minister Dr Robert Habeck, leading associations of the German waterparks, spa and health resort industry have demanded a correction of the planned gas price cap. “If the draft of the Experts’ Commission were to be implemented in its present version, this would put spas, sauna companies and health resorts at a disadvantage compared to other companies,” the letter states. Already a few weeks ago, voices were raised questioning the competence behind the drafts. This is because the gas price cap is based on consumption values from periods in which the facilities mentioned were closed due to the pandemic or in which their operation was massively restricted. The consumption values from the reference periods proposed by the Commission therefore do not correspond at all to their real energy needs.

In a letter to the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Dr Robert Habeck, the associations therefore propose that the consumption figures from 2019 should be used as the basis for determining the guaranteed price for the companies affected by corona-related closures and restrictions, as only this year, as the last pre-pandemic year, reflects the real energy demand. “For our businesses, quick and comprehensive relief through financial assistance is all the more important as we have suffered far more than other sectors of the economy from the consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic through government-imposed closures and restrictions on operations. Many of our businesses have not yet recovered economically from the losses and must fear for their existence if the financial burden continues,” the letter continues. Among the undersigned of the letter are the European Waterpark Association e.V. (EWA) and the German Association for Public Pools in Germany. The letter in its full wording (German language only) can be found here. (eap)