High prices push down German energy use in Q1 2023 – researchers
Clean Energy Wire
Energy consumption in Germany in the first three months of 2023 was almost seven percent below that of the same period last year due to high prices and a shrunk gross domestic product, energy market research group AGEB said in a press release. The figures “illustrate the effects of the geopolitical changes triggered by the Ukraine war, with their profound impact on energy prices, security of supply and economic growth,” AGEB said. Private households saved on heating fuels like natural gas, while high prices and lower demand led to high single-digit production declines in industry. Primary energy consumption stood at 3,126 petajoules, a 6.8 percent reduction compared to the first quarter 2022, AGEB’s preliminary figures showed.
The energy crisis fuelled by Russia’s war on Ukraine pushed German energy use in 2022 to its lowest level since reunification. High prices due to the energy crisis have led to short-term savings by consumers and energy efficiency investments with medium to long-term impact, as well as price-related production cuts in individual economic sectors. Overall, the country’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased slightly in this environment, the German Environment Agency (UBA) said. More coal use during the energy crisis led to rising emissions in the energy sector, while high prices pushed down emissions in industry.
