Claudia Kemfert, an energy economist at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), urged the public to conserve gas amid unusually low fill levels in German storage sites. “It makes sense to continue cutting gas consumption” she said in the Tuesday editions of the Funke Media Group newspapers. “Those who can do so should also consider switching from gas heating, because installing a new heat pump permanently reduces costs, dependence and crisis risk”.
Kemfert warns that the current emptiness of German gas reservoirs is a clear alarm signal. “Supply is secure at the moment, but the low fill levels are an unmistakable warning” she explained. “The buffer is smaller than it has been in previous years, which heightens vulnerability to cold spells and price spikes”.
Germany’s reliance on LNG imports has brought flexibility but also increased dependence on global markets and price swings. “If President Donald Trump were to stop LNG exports, an immediate supply shortage is unlikely” Kemfert said, “but a sharp price shock is very realistic”. The biggest challenge would be filling storage facilities in the summer, which would become markedly more difficult and expensive.