Dhe time for appeals is over: the federal government wants to significantly reduce gas consumption in Germany with changes to the law and regulations. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) and Network Agency President Klaus Müller presented a corresponding “energy security package” on Thursday.
Among other things, this stipulates that corridors, halls, foyers and technical rooms in public facilities and office buildings should no longer be heated unless there are safety reasons not to do so. This regulation is to apply for a period of six months.
In addition, politicians want to talk to unions and employers about more home offices so that fewer offices have to be heated. Habeck left it open how the employees should be compensated for the additional ancillary costs.
Anyone who owns a house is subject to consumption requirements
Real estate owners are to be obliged to carry out a “heating check”, and the previously recommended hydraulic balancing of heating systems is also to be prescribed. In addition, homeowners are to be legally prohibited from heating pools with gas in the future. Indoor pools should not be affected by the heating ban.
“We have to strengthen our precautions for the winter,” said Habeck. So far, gas consumption in Germany has only fallen by 5 to 7 percent, adjusted for temperature. This is not enough. The Ministry hopes that the announced package of measures will enable the EU Commission to achieve the target of 15 percent less gas consumption.
Netzagentur President Müller sets the savings target a little higher than Habeck: “A target to avoid a gas shortage is a total of 20 percent savings across Germany,” he said. It’s not about introducing a “heat police” in Germany and harassing the citizens, stressed Habeck.
How do you get citizens to participate?
“In the end, savings in the private sector depend to a large extent on people getting involved,” he said. Habeck referred to the contact restrictions from the corona pandemic. Even then, most people would have followed the rules.
After the end of the maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Russian gas flowed to Germany again on Thursday, but only 40 percent of the agreed level, as before. Indications came from Russia that it could also decrease again if a turbine from Siemens Energy could not be installed in time.
Habeck rejected this representation. “Sometimes you get the impression that Russia doesn’t want to take them back,” he said, looking at the turbine. This was in Canada for maintenance and arrived in Germany at the beginning of the week. It is not known where she is now.
Storage tanks must be 95 percent full by November
Another new regulation relates to the minimum filling levels of the gas storage tanks. A new level will be introduced on September 1st, at least 75 percent must then be reached. The minimum fill level on October 1 will be raised from 80 to 85 percent, and on November 1 from 90 to 95 percent.
According to Müller, this is intended to prevent companies from taking gas from the storage facilities instead of procuring replacements for the missing Russian supplies on the world market at high prices. “It’s not the time to save now,” Habeck said. Most recently, the ailing energy supplier Uniper had withdrawn gas from its storage facilities. A rescue package for Uniper, probably with the involvement of the federal government, is currently still being negotiated. On average, the gas storage facilities in Germany are currently about 65 percent full.
Both Habeck and Müller pointed out that not only the coming winter will be a challenge, but also the one that follows. “We need staying power,” said Habeck. Russia is an “insecure cantonist” in the energy supply, always twisting facts. The lignite reserve is also to be activated on October 1st.
Coal and oil should be transported with privileges
The reserves of the coal-fired power plants are currently being used. Another component of the package of measures presented: an ordinance is to be developed together with the Ministry of Transport that would give priority to the transport of coal and oil in freight traffic.
Another detailed regulation concerns the relationship between tenants and landlords: clauses in rental contracts, according to which tenants have to heat apartments with a certain minimum temperature, are to be temporarily suspended. This is likely to meet with criticism from housing companies. They had already warned in the past few weeks that there was a risk of mold in unheated rooms and that the building fabric would suffer.
The Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) assessed the restarted gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline cautiously. This could at most contribute to temporary calming down, said Chairwoman Kerstin Andreae. “We will no longer be able to rely on a permanent and reliable supply from Russia.” The Family Business Foundation warned that in the event of gas rationing, the greatest damage would be in metal production and processing, the chemical industry and the paper industry.
