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Bonn (German news agency) – The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, is now finally ruling out a gas shortage for this winter. “The gas storage tanks are 64 percent full. Even if it should get really cold again in the next few weeks, the supply is secured thanks to the storage facilities. We’ve made it, we’re finally ruling out a gas shortage for this winter,” said Müller “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition).
“But we mustn’t rest on our laurels. It could be different next winter.” Then the network agency thinks another crisis is conceivable. “We cannot rule out a gas shortage for next winter. Risk factors are that the winter of 2023/24 will be very cold, that households and companies will save too little, that the LNG terminals will not work as planned – we would also have to help our neighboring countries with problems help out,” said Mueller. The biggest risk is the weather. “We cannot rely on the fact that next winter will be as mild again. When it’s cold, many households immediately stop saving,” said the head of the authority. “In warm October they saved more than 20 percent gas, in cold December only seven percent.” Müller referred to other risk factors: “We don’t know what will become of Russia’s remaining gas supplies.” It is true that pipeline gas from Russia is no longer coming to Germany, but Russia is still delivering to countries such as Austria and Hungary. “It’s not forbidden, the EU hasn’t sanctioned Russian gas supplies.” The head of the network agency warned to continue saving gas: “If we still have well over 50 percent in German gas storage facilities on May 1, I would be happy. The more gas there is in the storage facilities, the better we will be able to use them to fill over the summer, even though we don’t get any more Russian pipeline gas.” According to Müller, he would like better incentives to save from the public utility company: “We should now do what the gas commission recommends: suppliers must inform customers promptly about their consumption and costs. Regular automatic emails – that can bring great incentives to save,” he said .
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