A judgment in the EU tribunal hits hard against those who refuel biogas because it means that the gas may no longer be tax-free. According to a survey we conducted, all suppliers have raised the price of the majority of sandwiches by over 15 percent. The opposition is critical that the government has not done more to compensate those who produce the biogas. At CircleK’s pub at Frescati Stockholm, those who fill up with biogas are upset: – It doesn’t feel good at all. It feels exactly like those who have these green cars have to pay, says biogas driver Martin Jakobsson. All but one supplier raises sharply A call that TV4 Nyheterna made to the largest biogas suppliers shows that all but one has raised the price by over fifteen percent. The price of gas is now higher than the price of gasoline. – We can’t handle it. It is very expensive. If it continues like this, we will have to use diesel or petrol cars instead, says taxi driver Abdul Bare. The fact that the gas can no longer be tax-free is now putting aside the profitability of many farmers who stood in the starting pits to start producing new biogas. – No one now dares to invest in biogas, says Rickard Nordin, who is the Centre’s spokesperson for climate and energy issues. We also know that many of those who have invested will back out or even go bankrupt when they receive repayment demands. Criticism of the government The background is pure EU bureaucracy. A judgment has established that Sweden’s tax exemption for biogas was not properly investigated. A long court process must now be redone in order to be sure that the tax exemption does not conflict with the EU’s city aid rules. – We are of course looking at whether there are any opportunities to support the industry, says Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M). In the player above: How the new rules hit motorists
t4-general
Race against this week’s shock increase in fuel: “Those with green cars have to pay”
