The cost of utility bills in Germany is set to rise sharply this winter, as a number of factors collide to push the price of natural gas to new heights. 

Households in Germany face rising gas prices this winter

The 50 percent of households in Germany that heat their homes with gas will face soaring costs this winter, after months of steadily increasing wholesale prices - fuelled by the resurgence of the global economy, and refilling delays across Europe.

The effects of this are already being felt by some consumers. According to the price comparison website Verivox, 32 regional energy suppliers in Germany have already announced price increases for September and October, averaging 12,6 percent. For an average family, this equates to around an extra 188 euros per year. “We expect a major gas price surge this autumn,” said Verivox energy expert Thomas Storck. 

What is causing the “gas panic” in Europe?

So, what’s causing the price hike? In a nutshell, gas has become a scarce commodity across Europe, leading some to speculate about a “panic” on the market. In spring 2020, prices were low, leading to falling costs for consumers, but things have since begun to reverse. According to the Federal Office of Economics and Control, the import prices for natural gas rose by 42 percent between January and July this year.

This rise is driven by several different factors, according to experts. Firstly, after nearly 18 months of sluggishness, demand for gas is normalising as the global economy restarts. On top of that, gas storage facilities in Europe have not yet been completely refilled after the comparatively cold winter of 2020 / 2021. In Germany, they are currently less than two-thirds full, compared to 94 percent a year ago. 

In turn, there are several possible reasons as to why the storage facilities are not yet refilled, including failures and maintenance work, the phasing-out of natural gas production in the Netherlands, and the currently high prices, which may be putting companies off stockpiling gas for the time being. 

One final possible explanation has also been put forward by Oliver Krischer, the vice-president of the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag. He has accused Russia of deliberately limiting gas supplies to Europe in a bid to speed up the launch of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that will transport natural gas from Russia across the Baltic Sea. However, the accusations have been dismissed by the Kremlin.