Habeck wants to push through energy-saving measures "if necessary, even legally."

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"Not yet discussed intensively": Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens)

Photo: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam / dpa

The effects of the Ukraine war are becoming more and more noticeable in Germany.

After the recent cuts in Russian gas supplies, the gas storage facilities in Germany cannot be filled to the planned extent for the winter.

In view of the situation, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has now brought the enforcement of energy-saving measures with legal means into play.

"If the storage volumes do not increase, then we will have to take further measures to save, if necessary also by law," said the Green politician on Thursday evening in the ARD "Tagesthemen".

When asked whether that could also mean lowering the prescribed minimum temperature in apartments, the minister replied, “We have not yet dealt with that in depth.

We will look at all the laws that contribute there«.

The gas storage facilities are currently 56 percent full.

That is above average, but not enough.

“We can't go into the winter at 56 percent.

They have to be full.

Otherwise we're really open,' said the minister.

The situation is serious, but security of supply is currently guaranteed.

In the event of a gas shortage in the winter, the obvious first step would be to fire cogeneration plants with coal instead of gas, he said.

At the same time, Habeck appealed again to companies and citizens to save energy and gas.

"Comparatively small sacrifices"

The German Association of Towns and Municipalities also advocated changes to the legal framework.

General manager Gerd Landsberg pointed out in the "Rheinische Post" that landlords are obliged to ensure a temperature of 20 to 24 degrees.

"That has to be changed.

Even an apartment with 18 or 19 degrees can still be lived in well and everyone should be able to support this comparatively small sacrifice,” said Landsberg.

As announced, the Russian energy giant Gazprom further reduced its gas deliveries to Germany through the Nord Stream Baltic Sea pipeline on Thursday night – initially by 40 percent and now by 60 percent.

Habeck spoke of a pattern that has been recognizable over the past few weeks.

This is how dictators and despots acted, said the Economics Minister.

This is a showdown between Western allies and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Before the war in Ukraine, Germany got around 55 percent of its gas from Russia, now it's still around 35 percent.

The rest so far comes mainly from the Netherlands and Norway, to a lesser extent from Belgium and other sources.

About five percent of the demand is covered by local funding.

Consumption is currently below the values ​​of the previous year, but above the ten-year average.

mrc/dpa/AFP