Gas consumption increased by almost 6% in the last three months of 2024. This is revealed by the director of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Muller.
German businesses and households should save gas to avoid shortages, the Federal Network Agency asked on Wednesday January 1, 2025, reports The world.
According to an analysis by the agency, the country consumed much more this season than last year.
The agency reports that total gas consumption in Germany increased by 5.8% from October to December 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, to reach 246 terawatt hours (TWh). Industries recorded an increase in consumption of 9.1% compared to 2023. While the increase in households and businesses was more modest, at 1.9%, the report noted.
The agency attributes the increase in gas consumption to the colder weather. However, Klaus Muller said that given the trend, consumers would be better off being more economical with their gas consumption to avoid shortages and, consequently, higher prices.
When it comes to heating, natural gas remains the most important energy source in Germany. In fact, around half of the country’s apartments and single-family homes are heated with gas, according to The world.
In this regard, note that Germany depended on Russia for more than half of its gas demand before the war against Ukraine in 2022. Deliveries were either significantly reduced or completely halted after the EU imposed sanctions on Moscow. And Nord Stream pipelines delivering Russian gas directly to Germany were destroyed by explosions at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
Thus, long considered the industrial power of the EU, Germany was one of the countries most affected by the reduction of Russian energy supplies, plunging its economy into a recession in 2023. In October, the German government revised downward its GDP forecast for this year, predicting a further contraction of 0.2%.
The loss of cheap Russian gas and reliance on much more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States has also pushed energy prices in Germany beyond what many industrial companies can afford. allow, triggering a wave of closures and bankruptcies.
