Above all, the mild weather and significant savings last winter ensured that the stop in Russian gas deliveries did not lead to a gas shortage. The gas supply situation has now eased, but experts don’t want to completely rule out an emergency situation, especially if it gets very cold for a longer period of time. Given this background, how does the population think about heating and showering? The German Press Agency asked questions.
Accordingly, two thirds of the population in Germany are currently not worried that natural gas will be scarce in the coming winter. This emerges from a representative survey by the YouGov research institute on behalf of the dpa. 24 percent of adults were concerned, 10 percent were undecided or did not provide any information.
According to the survey, almost a third of the population wants to heat less than last winter. Almost three quarters of them gave “saving money” as their reason. For 14 percent, solidarity so that Germany’s gas reserves do not run dry is the main reason. 12 percent want to heat less to protect the climate.
Savings potential exhausted
52 percent said they did not want to heat less this winter than last. The majority of them (61 percent) stated that the main reason for this was that they already had little heating and therefore had no savings potential. 23 percent saw no reason for this. One in ten said the main reason was that it was too uncomfortable.
Only just under a quarter of those surveyed want to take shorter, less frequent or colder showers in the coming winter. 69 percent of them cited “saving money” as their main motive. For 16 percent, solidarity so that Germany’s gas reserves do not run out is the main reason. 12 percent want to protect the climate with such behavior.
A good two thirds stated that they did not want to make any compromises when it came to showering compared to last winter. Of these, a majority of 44 percent stated that their main reason was to take colder, shorter or less frequent showers. 31 percent saw no reason for a change in behavior compared to last winter. 21 percent found it too uncomfortable.
Netzagentur: Notable achievements
Meanwhile, the Federal Network Agency is praising the behavior of the population: “The savings successes last winter were considerable. Many people are using their heating more consciously,” said authority President Klaus Müller to the dpa. This is also what we hope for next winter. Nobody should freeze. “But at the same time, it remains important for next winter that people think carefully about how much consumption can be saved. If you use gas sparingly, you can save a lot of money next winter too,” said Müller.
The initial situation at the beginning of the heating season is significantly better than a year ago. The gas storage facilities are very well filled, imports and savings are stable. “But it is too early to give a complete all-clear,” emphasized Müller. A very cold winter would cause gas consumption to rise sharply. If Russian gas deliveries to Southeastern Europe were to stop, these states in a shortage situation would have to be supplied via Germany. “Finally, we cannot ignore scenarios of partial or complete failure of natural gas pipelines.”
