Gas early warning level: Habeck calls for energy saving

Storage is still full, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. After Economics Minister Habeck announced the gas early warning stage, he is now calling for savings. “Every cubic meter of gas that is not burned helps,” he said daily topics.

In an interview with the daily topics massive efforts to save energy required. The reservoirs are sufficiently full for spring and summer of this year. The question is whether this will also be the case in the coming winter.

After the gas early warning level was called out in the morning, Habeck emphasized that this was a precautionary measure, but pointed out: “We have to do everything to be ready, to immediately notice disruptions in network operation or missing gas deliveries and to take appropriate countermeasures. But the gas is flowing and we don’t have a supply shortage.”

“Take reduction seriously and reduce consumption”

So that it doesn’t come to that, he said: “We can all make a contribution now: we as the government, of course, by trying to really write history and not letting German sluggishness prevail – and building the pipelines, building the terminals , buying gas, making the regulations, writing the efficiency criteria into the laws, providing the money for building refurbishment and replacing oil and gas boilers. So that’s my job, that’s our job.”

But all other citizens and entrepreneurs could also contribute by reducing gas and oil consumption. “Every cubic meter of gas that is not burned helps. The prices are high, I don’t think it will be wasted at the moment.” According to Habeck, the gas storage facilities could be filled up over the summer with the inflows that Germany receives via LNG. “But to do that, we have to take the reduction seriously and bring consumption down in Germany.”

Ultimate consequence: quantity distribution

Only as a last resort would the Federal Network Agency intervene in the market and distribute quantities. Then certain regions or industrial complexes would no longer be supplied as they are used to, explained Habeck. “We’re still a long way from that. But of course it means that we prepare for all scenarios.”

If the emergency level occurs, legal criteria apply, explained Habeck. End consumers, social institutions such as hospitals and systemically important power plants are the last to be shut down. “They would be taken care of as long as there was gas.” One is prepared for every step, according to the minister. “But we don’t publicize the concrete steps, we take them when they are due.”