BERLIN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The German government said on Friday that the Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) has approved to double a planned one-time heating allowance for low-income groups to offset the effect of rising energy prices.
Entitled single households are now to receive 270 euros (299 U.S. dollars) instead of 135 euros. Two-person households are to get 350 euros, while students are to receive 230 euros, according to a government statement.
Totaling almost 380 million euros, the relief program is expected to benefit 2.1 million citizens, it said. All entitled persons are to receive the heating cost allowance automatically without an application in summer.
As energy costs "increased enormously" since the heating subsidy was first calculated back in November last year, the Bundestag approved to further increase the original government proposal.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), prices for energy products in February rose by 22.5 percent year-on-year. While household energy increased by 20.8 percent, prices for light heating oil and natural gas even jumped 52.6 percent and 35.7 percent, respectively.
