"Gas consumption in the 46th calendar week was below the average consumption of the last four years, but increased by almost 28% compared to the previous week. Temperatures were 0.7 degrees colder than in previous years," the regulator said in a status report.
According to the regulator, the country's gas storage facilities are mostly full.
"The total storage level in Germany is 99.26%. The storage level at the Rehden facility [largest gas storage facility in Germany] is 93.77%," Bundesnetzagentur said.
The regulator also said that wholesale prices continue to fluctuate significantly and called on companies and private consumers to prepare for a significant increase in gas prices and stressed the importance of economical gas consumption.
The agency also said that due to scheduled maintenance work on the pipeline between the UK and Belgium from November 15 to November 29, there is a change in Belgian gas imports. The regulator, however, added that the repair work would not have a negative impact on the security of gas supply to Germany because it will be compensated by other sources.
Since 2021, energy prices in EU countries have been surging as part of a global trend. After the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 and the adoption of several packages of sanctions against Moscow by the EU, energy prices accelerated their rise, placing energy security high on both the global and national agendas, and pushing many European governments to resort to contingency measures.