As Russia's brutal war in Ukraine reveals new horrors by the day, pressure is mounting on Germany to introduce a gas embargo – a complete ban – on Russian gas imports.
If this were to happen, the federal government could declare a state of emergency and take measures to limit the consumption of private citizens to prevent gas storage facilities from being empty by the end of the summer.
READ ALSO: OPINION: How many massacres will it take before Germany turns off Russian gas?
However, there are measures that people can already start taking to help conserve the country's gas supplies.
Speaking to die Zeit on Tuesday, head of the Federal Network Agency - the German regulatory office for electricity, gas, and telecommunications – Klaus Müller called for people in Germany to make an "early start" with saving gas. "Anything that saves a cubic meter of gas today is good," he said.
READ ALSO: German gas embargo could help end Ukraine war, says expert
Smarter heating
One simple step that ordinary consumers can already take is to reduce the heating in their homes to only the necessary rooms.
According to Müller, keeping the thermostat below 19 degrees would be a big help, but consumers should also look into whether their homes are being properly heated.
This can be done by having the heating system checked to see if it is set optimally and to ensure that the property is sufficiently insulated.
No saunas and fewer hot showers
Asked if saunas and large single apartments could be kept heated constantly in the future, the head of the Federal Network Agency said, "No, I don't think that would be justifiable at all in a gas emergency."
Private consumption is still too high, he said, and that people should ask themselves whether they really need to take hot showers seven times a week with gas heating.
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: How quickly can Germany wean itself off Russian gas?
What about German industry?
While the government could, in an emergency, take measures to limit private consumers' gas consumption, decisions would also have to be taken on which kind of businesses are to be kept going.
These would most likely be companies from the food and pharmaceutical sectors, Müller said.
According to European specifications, hospitals and gas-fired power plants responsible for district heating are afforded the most protection in the event of gas rationing.
Comments