On October 25, the Ministry of Environment and Energy announced a new framework for electricity subsidies aimed at supporting approximately one million businesses across Greece. The measure will cover the period from December 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025, and is intended to offset average electricity price increases during the winter. The subsidies apply to variable electricity tariffs and are divided into three categories based on business turnover in the 2023 fiscal year, with each group receiving different levels of support.
Group 1 includes businesses with an annual turnover between €0 and €500,000, which will receive a subsidy of €0.02 per kilowatt-hour on 100 percent of their electricity consumption. Group 2 includes businesses with turnover between €500,000.01 and €1,000,000, which will receive €0.02 per kilowatt-hour on 80 percent of their usage. Group 3, consisting of businesses with turnover between €1,000,000.01 and €10,000,000, will receive the same €0.02 per kilowatt-hour subsidy, but applied to 60 percent of their electricity consumption.
In addition, businesses operating under KAD codes 10.71, 10.72, and 96.10—specifically bakeries, confectioneries and dry cleaners—will receive a higher subsidy of €0.04 per kilowatt-hour on 100 percent of their electricity usage, regardless of their turnover. However, any business found guilty of electricity theft will be excluded from the subsidy scheme. The Ministry has identified 32,000 such cases, leading to an estimated savings of approximately €3 million.
Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou stated that the policy was developed within the limits set by the European Union and guided by principles of social justice. He emphasized that businesses failing to meet collective obligations will not benefit from collective support, calling it a moral issue and reaffirming the government’s commitment to combating electricity theft without compromise.
Deputy Minister Nikos Tsafos supported the minister’s stance, highlighting that the government continues to stand by consumers. He said that the new measure supports small and medium-sized businesses affected by last winter’s price increases and that it is fiscally responsible, well-targeted, and fair, explicitly excluding businesses involved in electricity theft.