DIHK survey shows: Many companies produce less because of expensive energy

According to a survey, almost every sixth industrial company wants to produce less because of the rapidly increasing energy costs.

DIHK survey shows: Many companies produce less because of expensive energy

According to a survey, almost every sixth industrial company wants to produce less because of the rapidly increasing energy costs. Energy-intensive sectors such as steel, glass and paper are particularly badly affected. According to the DIHK, some companies have no choice but to close.

According to a survey, many companies in Germany are reducing their production due to the rise in energy prices. According to a survey published by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) among 3,500 companies from all sectors and regions, 16 percent of industrial companies are forced to react by reducing production or at least partially giving up business areas.

According to their own statements, almost a quarter of them have already implemented this. Another quarter is on the way. About half of these companies state that they are planning corresponding steps, as can be seen from the DIHK preliminary evaluation of the annual energy transition barometer.

"These are alarming numbers," said DIHK President Peter Adrian. They showed the extent to which permanently high energy prices are a burden on the location. "Many companies have no choice but to close down or relocate production to other locations."

According to the evaluation, the energy-intensive economy with the steel, glass and paper sectors is particularly hard hit: Here the values ​​are consistently twice as high as the average for the industry. "What we are currently observing in terms of the decline in gas consumption in industry is mainly due to the decommissioning of machines and systems. It cannot be attributed to improved energy efficiency," said Adrian.

According to the association, the evaluation also shows that many companies still have to procure a lot of gas for 2022. Only half of the industrial companies have already covered their needs through contracts. More than a third still have to buy more than 30 percent of their annual requirement.