Energy officials said household energy costs in Germany could triple as Russian gas supplies were cut, and a company spokesman raised the possibility of social unrest unless prices were curbed.
Klaus Müller, head of the Federal Network Agency, urged consumers to cut back and save money in an interview with the RND press group to be published on Thursday.
“We need to help middle-income families and limit energy costs,” said Roland Warner, head of the municipal division at state-owned Chemnitz. And it warned that annual bills of €1,500 could rise to €4,700 in October.
He added: In case of social unrest, the government cannot deal with this issue.
German Energy Minister Robert Haubeck has rejected government calls for price controls in the past, saying the country cannot fully compensate for rising prices and that trying to do so would send the wrong signal about the need to save energy.
Europe’s largest economy, which has benefited from cheap Russian gas for decades, is facing a crisis as Russia’s supply drops sharply.
Western governments say that Moscow is responding to sanctions imposed on the country due to the Ukraine crisis, but Moscow considers it to be due to technical problems.
Some analysts warn that if living standards deteriorate, public support for a hardline approach against Moscow could further weaken.
A Forsa poll released on Wednesday showed support for an embargo on Russian gas, the main source of funding for what Moscow calls its “special operations” in Ukraine, has fallen from 44 percent six weeks ago to just 32 percent now.
Source: Lebanon Debate
