Students victim of increased energy costs
Students’ union LSVb sent out a dunning letter about the increase of the energy taxation, meaning the living costs, for students who rent at a housing corporation. There is a threat that they have to pay about €350 more for energy costs alone per year, for the next years. This also counts for housing properties in Nijmegen.
Increase in energy taxation
People offering student accommodation are regarded as private supplier of energy and are charged a higher tax rate. This tax increase, from 1 to approximately 7 cent per kilowatt-hour has to be paid by the renters.
The LSVb objects. The law that regulates this taxation, has as goal to make companies more conscious about their energy consumption. The LSVb wonders whether this can be the goal of the housing properties of housing corporations. Students have to do their housekeeping, after all.
Hoogeveldt and Vossenveld fall guy
José Ros, spokeswoman of Nijmegen’s student housing association (SSHN), says that this problem also occurs in Nijmegen. ‘In Nijmegen, the rent increase will count for Hoogeveldt and Vossenveld, housing blocks with many dependant units. She refers to the SSHN-site where the regulation is explained. (See this link) The SSHN says on that site: ‘Together with other people offering student accommodation we search for a solution for the future, for which an amendment probably is needed. Just yet, we can not do anything else but charge the extra costs, unfortunately.
