“It’s going well so far”
The energy industry and the network agency are calling for gas savings
November 19, 2023, 4:30 p.m
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The memories are full. Autumn has been mild so far. And yet: The energy companies and the network agency appeal to use gas sparingly. Because in a crisp winter it could quickly become scarce.
The energy industry and the Federal Network Agency have called on citizens to use gas sparingly this winter too. The storage facilities are full and there is no longer any need for laws like a year ago, said the head of the industry association BDEW, Kerstin Andreae, to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. “Nevertheless, we appeal to the population to use as little gas as possible.”
There are factors that are out of your control, Andreae continued. If it gets really cold for two months, the storage tanks will empty and have to be refilled. Nobody has to pay for every kilowatt hour that is saved, she said. “The lower the consumption, the lower the costs and the higher the energy security.”
Network agency boss Klaus Müller made similar comments. “This winter, too, it makes sense to call a family conference and ask yourself whether everyone really needs the same temperature in every room or whether it can be graduated,” said the authority president of the Funke media group. This is how you can do it with proper ventilation and one hydraulic balancing of the heating system Save energy.
For the moment, Müller was optimistic. “We’re already a sixth of the way through the winter. And so far things are going well.” The association of storage operators declared at the beginning of November that an emergency situation could not be ruled out in a very cold winter, despite the gas storage being full. At extremely low temperatures like in 2010, the German storage facilities could be empty by the end of January. In such a scenario, the storage facilities could only be filled again in March.
Until the Russian attack on Ukraine, Germany obtained a large part of its natural gas via Russian pipelines. Last year, however, Russia stopped deliveries. The Federal Republic is now covering demand through other supplying countries and is building terminals for importing liquefied natural gas. The storage levels are currently over 100 percent. According to the Ines storage association, storage options can be increased if gas is stored under “optimal conditions”. The volume of natural gas decreases as its temperature decreases. This means more of it can be stored.