Households should save even more energy because gas is becoming scarce and expensive. The government's appeals could put low earners in need, the housing cooperatives warn. The choice between starvation and freezing threatens.
According to an association, further energy saving is no longer possible for many tenants in Saxony. "The appeal to save has already been exhausted for most of our members. They are already frugal and only have a small wallet," said Mirjam Philipp, board member at the Association of Saxon Housing Cooperatives (VSWG). The member companies of the association manage almost 300,000 apartments in Bavaria, mostly in the lower price segment.
After the drastic reduction in gas supplies by Russia, the federal government declared the alarm level in the gas emergency plan on Thursday. Saxony's Economics Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) had called for urgent savings in order to prepare for the winter. Such an appeal is difficult to convey in summer. But there are also opportunities for savings in households.
Even if security of supply can now be guaranteed, "so far there have been no scenarios that would ensure that we would have enough gas available in winter," said Dulig. That is why we need a change in behavior in the population and in the economy in the coming weeks and months.
Not everything can be passed on to the tenants, who already spend most of their money on housing, said Philipp. "There must not be a choice between starving and freezing." She called for a package of measures from the federal government to absorb the additional costs.
According to the information, there are still potential savings in the technology. The systems for heating and hot water are now being examined more closely in order to discover hidden savings potential, explained Philipp. There will also be talks with the municipal utilities.
