The European Union is facing a natural gas crunch amid dwindling supply from Russia. Now, EU countries need to lower gas consumption in order to prepare for the upcoming winter.

Klaus Muller, the head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, called upon other EU countries to save up natural gas during the winter to stabilize energy prices. Furthermore, Muller added that Germany must also cut its gas consumption by at least 20% to make it through the cold season. The head of the German energy regulator approved the latest EU decision to cut down gas consumption by 15% during the winter. He believes that the EU would have enough gas for autumn and winter if all EU states take measures to scale down consumption.

In early August, EU countries approved a plan for a voluntary reduction of natural gas demand this winter. According to the resolution, member states would reduce their gas demand by 15% compared to their average consumption in the past five years with measures of their own choice from August 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.