1. €300 energy-relief payment for (almost) everyone

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If you pay social security then you’ll receive a €300 energy-relief payment along with your regular salary in September. It’ll be paid automatically by the state so you don't need to register for it. All self-employed people, interns, people with mini-jobs, and working students will also get the payment.

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2. 19° in public spaces

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It’s no secret that we all need to start saving energy. That's why, from September, you can expect the heating in public buildings to never rise above 19 degrees. It's a stipulation from the federal government, and it includes cinemas, theaters, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, hairdressers, gyms, offices, and schools!

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3. It’ll be dark from 10 p.m.

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The next energy-saving measure: Monuments shouldn’t be illuminated, and neither should shop windows. So from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. — from September onwards — outdoor lighting will be turned off. The only exception will be buildings that need to stay illuminated for safety reasons.  

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4. E-prescriptions are here

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Electronic prescriptions will be introduced in September. All pharmacies will have to accept your e-prescription, but unfortunately doctors aren’t obliged to give digital prescriptions. If you’d like to get your prescriptions digitally, then download the e-prescription app. While you’re doing that, you might like to contemplate the benefits:  

• It saves paper
• It saves you time
• It’s forgery-proof
• It helps create better collaboration between pharmacies, doctor's offices, and health insurance companies.
• Your prescriptions will be documented in one place

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5. The fuel discount comes to an end  

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If you drive a car then you probably already know that the fuel rebate is coming to an end. At the moment a liter of gas costs around €1.83, but after the fuel rebate expires that’ll shoot up to €2.18! Thankfully apps like clever-tanken.de or fillibri let you compare prices at different gas stations to find the cheapest.

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6. No more €9 tickets

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Starting in September, you'll have to once again pay the full price for your monthly travel ticket — and prices are now relatively higher due to inflation. The summer €9 ticket has however helped stop inflation from rising further. There are also various proposals for what could come after the €9 ticket: a €29 ticket (an idea from consumer centers), the €365/a year ticket(an idea from the Left), or the €49 ticket (a proposal from the Greens).

7. iPhone 14 and the new Apple Watch

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On the 7th of September, Apple will present its latest products. There’s speculation that the following things will probably be announced:

• The notch is gone (that's the frame at the top of the iPhone display where the camera is).
• The new iPhone will have a better camera with ultra-wide angle and telephoto lens with a hefty zoom!
• Faster processors.
• More memory.
• There will be no iPhone 14 in the mini version, but there’ll probably be an iPhone 14 Plus (the very large one).

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Everyone who’s got an iPhone that’s newer than the iPhone 7 can rejoice: there will soon be a software update including a new design. Software updates are usually released by Apple in the fall after their keynote — which you can watch here live, on September 7th at 7pm.

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8. Apache 207 documentary

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News alert for all hip hop fans: Rapper Apache 207 is releasing a documentary called "Apache bleibt gleich" at the end of September. Not so much is known about Apache — even though he is one of the most famous artists in Germany! You can stream the documentary on Amazon Prime from the 23rd of September.  

Our song recommendation from Apache 207: “Vodka” (it’s got a pretty awesome music video too!)

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