The new year in Germany brings with it many new regulations: The minimum wage is rising, contracts on the Internet should be easier to terminate and the CO2 tax will be increased. But that is by far not all.
Beverage cans will be subject to a deposit in 2022 without exception.
pop. / (dpa) A new year, a new government – and lots of new regulations: in 2022, citizens will face many changes. What will be more expensive, what will be cheaper and what will change completely? An overview of the most important changes in 2022.
Ban on plastic bags
From January 1st, it will no longer be possible to sell plastic shopping bags at German tills. It’s about the so-called light plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness between 15 and 50 micrometers – these are the standard bags that you get when you go shopping. Exceptions are particularly stable reusable bags and the thin plastic bags that can be found at the fruit and vegetable stand, for example.
postage
In view of rising wages and costs, Deutsche Post is planning higher postage fees on January 1st. For a standard letter, 85 cents instead of the previous 80 cents and for a postcard 70 cents instead of 60 cents.
CO2 tax
The CO2 tax will also rise in 2022 to make climate protection more attractive. Instead of 25 euros per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted, 30 euros are due. Among other things, this has an effect on fuel prices – albeit not as strongly as at the beginning of 2021. According to ADAC calculations, gasoline and diesel are now likely to become more expensive by around one and a half cents each due to the CO2 price.
Tickets on the train
From January 1st, last-minute travelers can no longer buy paper tickets on the train from the conductors of Deutsche Bahn. The alternative: a digital ticket that can be booked up to ten minutes after departure on bahn.de or via the app.
Chick killing
The million-fold killing of chicks in laying hens will come to an end in the new year. So far, almost 45 million male chicks have been killed annually in German hatcheries because they can neither be used for egg production nor as broilers.
minimum wage
The statutory minimum wage is currently EUR 9.60 per hour. In the new year it will rise twice: on January 1, 2022, it is to be increased to 9.82 euros and on July 1, 2022 to 10.45 euros. The SPD, Greens and FDP want to increase the minimum wage to 12 euros per hour. After the one-time adjustment, the independent minimum wage commission should decide on any further increases, as stated in the coalition agreement.
Cancellation button
Anyone who concludes a contract on the Internet will be able to terminate it more easily in the future. As of July 1, so-called long-term obligations are subject to a cancellation button, which consumers can use to get rid of their contracts without having to search and write a letter.
Corona bonus
Until March 31, employees can receive a corona bonus of a maximum of 1500 euros from their employer – tax-free. One of the prerequisites is that the money is used to alleviate the additional burden caused by the Corona crisis and that it is paid in addition to wages.
Electrical appliances
Depending on the size of the shop and the range, discounters and supermarkets will have to accept old electrical appliances such as electric toothbrushes or cell phones in the future. Shops, for example, must also accept small devices such as disused pocket calculators or an old razor if they were bought elsewhere. However, larger devices such as old televisions can only be handed in if a new device is purchased. Online retailers also have to take back and recycle electronic waste free of charge and in an uncomplicated manner.
Increase in the child allowance
The child allowance, a benefit in addition to child benefit for families with low incomes, will be increased slightly. It increases from 205 euros by 4 euros to up to 209 euros per month per child. According to the Ministry of Family Affairs, this only applies if a short-term increase in child benefit is not decided on January 1st.
Guarantee
Anyone who buys a product that later turns out to be defective may have better cards from 2022. This is made possible by the extension of the warranty law: the legal presumption that a defect already existed at the time of purchase is extended from six months to one year.
Electronic sick leave
As of January 1st, electronic incapacity certificates will be mandatory for medical practices. With the eAU, the sick notes are electronically transmitted to the health insurance companies. From July onwards, employers will also be involved.
EEG levy
The surcharge for financing green electricity (EEG surcharge) drops to 3.723 cents per kilowatt hour at the turn of the year and thus by more than 40 percent. Electricity is unlikely to be cheaper, however, because the levy is only part of the price and utilities pay more when shopping than they did a year ago.
Compulsory deposit
As of January 1st, the compulsory deposit for drinks in plastic bottles will be extended. While fruit and vegetable juices were previously exempt from the one-way deposit of 25 cents, this will also apply to them in the future. Beverage cans are also subject to a deposit without exception.
Plug-in hybrids
Buyers of certain cars that have an electric motor in addition to an internal combustion engine and are charged via a power cable (plug-in hybrids) could no longer benefit from the state subsidy from 2022. Because the prescribed electric range increases from 40 to 60 kilometers.
Chimneys
Chimneys will have to be built higher in the future in order to reduce the pollution of the air in the immediate vicinity. The aim is to reduce the exposure to harmful substances in the vicinity of systems such as pellet heating systems, tiled stoves and chimneys. The ordinance comes into force on January 1st.