Spain implements “shock plan” to reduce electricity bills

admin 2021年9月22日

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

left-wing /left wing/

[adjective] – (politics) relating to the belief that wealth and power should be shared between all parts of society
Some say that artistic people tend to have left-wing views.

channel /CHAN-l/

[verb] – to direct something into a particular place or situation
The funds were channeled into further research on space travel.

windfall /WIND-fawl/

[noun] – an amount of money that you receive unexpectedly
The school used the windfall funds to purchase new computers.

cap /kap/

[noun] – a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity
Our local government imposed a cap on the tax increase.

subsidy /SUHB-si-dee/

[noun] – money given by a government or an organization to reduce the cost of producing food, a product, etc. and to help to keep prices low
Farmers were given subsidies on livestock feed costs.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

Spain’s left-wing government aims to channel $3 billion from energy company profits to consumers to cut electricity taxes as bills spiral over the winter months. Last Tuesday, September 14, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez implemented the “shock plan” where citizens would pay no more for their power consumption than they did in 2018 including inflation. The plan includes the following:
• Electricity taxes are being temporarily reduced from 5.1% to the EU-mandated minimum of 0.5%.
• Windfall profits for energy companies will be transferred to consumers and infrastructure until April of next year.
• Spain will raise finances this year by selling a further $1 billion in carbon emission permits, on top of the $1.3 billion already sold.
• Natural gas price caps will result in a 4.4% increase in bills for 10.5 million homes, rather than the expected 28% increase.

Energy expenses continue to rise across Europe as gas prices soar. Reports recorded the $202.4 price per megawatt-hour on Wednesday, September 15, which is 12.6% higher than the previous day. Some affected nations are presently working on measures to lower consumer bills, but Spain was the first to take action. On Monday, Italian Minister Robert Cingolani warned that electricity prices would likely rise by 40% in the following quarter. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas of Greece stated that the administration intends to provide energy subsidies to the majority of households.

Discussion Questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Does your country often have an increase in energy expenses? Please tell me more about it.
What do you do to keep your expenses low?
If you were affected by a hike in electricity bills, what would you do to lower them?
What is your opinion on Socialist Prime Minister Sánchez’s “shock plan”?
In your opinion, will the Spanish government be able to do all four initiatives in the plan? Please explain your answer.

Summarization

Please summarize the whole article using your own words and expressions. You will have one minute to prepare before you answer.

Describe:

Please explain the definition of each word listed below based on your understanding. You can provide example sentences if needed.

consumer
cut
spiral
measure
household