High temperatures in the late summer and throughout autumn mean households in Germany have significantly reduced their gas consumption, according to a new study. 

Germany's gas consumption shrinks drastically 

The Hertie School, a university in Berlin, found that private households and small businesses in Germany reduced their gas consumption by 36 percent during September this year. The trend is said to have begun in March 2022, since increases in energy prices didn't hit these customer groups until then. On top of this, the report's authors give credit to "increased public attention on the topic of gas savings” for motivating people in Germany to cut their consumption.

Industrial-scale usage of gas in Germany was also down by 19 percent. According to the Hertie School study, this was a trend that began as early as September 2021, when companies were already reducing their gas usage due to price hikes. The authors of the study concluded that further gas consumption reduction was likely. 

The study was conducted using the so-called regression model, a method which quantifies the relationship between multiple variables, in this case temperature and gas consumption. The regression model can also determine how close the relationship is between variables. Using this method, researchers detailed "how much the current gas consumption deviates from the expected standard consumption for the respective month".

Germany prepares for a difficult winter amid energy crisis

Despite last week's record high autumn temperatures across Germany, the country is preparing for an uncertain winter of gas shortages and potential power cuts. However, with gas reserves now 95 percent full and consumption reducing, the coming months are looking more hopeful. Once Germany’s gas reserves reach 100 percent capacity, the storage facilities contain enough to cover domestic demand for two months.

Germany has been making big changes to its relationship with gas, nuclear and green energy. In mid-October chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his government’s plan to continue production at Germany’s three remaining nuclear power stations until mid-April 2023. And in a bid to find as many gas alternatives as possible, the country is also now using record-breaking amounts of green energy, with renewables supplying around a third of Germany’s overall electricity since March this year.