Germany set to avoid energy shortage in 2023, but price threats remain

The president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) Klaus Müller has said that when it comes to energy and gas reserves, the country is much better prepared for the winter than it was in 2022. However, another gas price explosion could also be on the cards.

German energy savings looking good for winter 2023

“We are already optimistic and are better prepared than last year,” Klaus Müller, president of Germany’s Bundesnetzagentur, the country’s regulatory office for energy, communications and railways, recently told the RND.

According to Müller, the main reason why the population can rest assured when it comes to energy and gas supplies this winter is that companies and businesses all over the country are using less gas than before. “We have also gotten better at saving [gas] and diversifying acquisition,” Müller explained.

So far, the weather in Germany this autumn is proving similar to 2022, when worryingly warm temperatures prevailed into the final months of the year meaning that it was easier to save gas and energy resources. Even if normal, colder winter temperatures do creep in soon, “we can cope with [...] even a slightly colder winter with economical gas use,” Müller explained.

Gas price explosion could be on the horizon again

Müller warned that despite good supply levels, people in Germany should use energy sparingly; “Nobody should freeze. But at the same time it is still important for people to think carefully about where consumption can be saved”. 

According to economist Veronika Grimm, another gas price explosion could also be on the horizon in Germany. Speaking to Rheinische Post, Grimm urged the German government to prolong the current gas price cap, which is due to remain in effect until December 2023 and is likely to be extended until April 2024.

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