BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's surcharge for renewable energy will rise by 47 percent next year, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday, putting pressure on consumers, who will bear the brunt of costs of the country's energy shift away from nuclear power.
The strong increase reflects the fact that increasing amounts of electricity are generated from renewable sources and that this power is bought from producers at guaranteed prices above market rates.
The so-called 'Umlage' -- charges levied on German consumers to support renewable power -- will rise to 5.3 euro cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2013 from 3.6 cents in 2012, the source said.
