German Energy Price Cap Already Taking Effect

Whew. Thank goodness the government intervened in time.

German of the day: Energieverbrauch. That means energy consumption. And concerned Germans just can’t seem to consume enough of it these days.

Despite the German government’s calls for savings, energy consumption by citizens in Germany has not fallen. According to the Federal Network Agency, consumption by private households and smaller commercial customers last week was almost ten percent higher than in previous years.

German Of The Day: Allzeittief

That means all-time low.

Buying mood in Germany drops to all-time low – Consumer sentiment in Germany has reached an all-time low due to the high cost of living. The consumer barometer of the German Retail Association (HDE) fell for the third month in a row, reaching a value of 84.14 points in October, the association announced on Tuesday. The value had already fallen to 90.53 at the beginning of the Corona crisis in April 2020 but then temporarily rose again to more than 100.

Consumer pessimism is expected to have a “negative impact on private consumption in the coming months,” the association said.

The Majority Of Germans Were Also Confident That The Energy Supply From Russia Was Secure

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

Majority of Germans confident energy supply to remain secure through winter, survey shows.

Nearly two thirds of Germans believe that power supply in Europe’s biggest economy will remain secure over autumn and winter, a survey showed on Tuesday, as Berlin scrambles to compensate for falling Russian energy imports.

Do As I Say And Not As I Do

Or, if you prefer, no more German Alleingänge (going it alone)… After this one. Promise.

Tensions flare over the EU’s new irresponsible big spender: Germany – Countries say Berlin has a burden of responsibility not just to pour billions into its own economy — when German mistakes created the crisis.

Ten years ago, when Europe was in the throes of the eurozone crisis, Germany led the drive for austerity. Now the rest of Europe is fuming about Germany’s heavy spending on energy subsidies that they fear could exacerbate the Continent’s politically explosive rich-poor divide. It hardly helps these growing tensions that it was Berlin’s misguided dependence on Russian gas that helped trigger the bloc’s energy crisis in the first place.

Gas Consumption Too High?

Well, we’ll fix that by subsidizing its use to encourage consumers to consume even more.

No need to thank us. We’re from the government and we’re here to help.

German gas consumption too high, says energy regulator – Germany’s network regulator, whcih would be in charge of gas rationing in the event of a supply emergency, on Thursday said that household consumption was too high to be sustainable.

Bless Its Pointed Little Head

Reality’s pointed little head, I mean. It will always get stuck up in your face, sooner or later.

Green utopia vs. the phenomenal world AKA the hard realities of life (that it’s cold in winter, for instance). Guess who wins?

Germany delays exit from nuclear power to offset energy shortfall – Two nuclear plants’ lives extended as country copes with loss of Russian gas and shortage of French electricity.

French nuclear-generated electricity, I might add.

Turn Off The Red Nose, Rudolf

It’s just not going to be windy or sunny enough this Christmas.

Germans urged to switch off Christmas lights this year to cut energy usage as Russia keeps tight hold on Europe’s gas supply – Germans should turn off their Christmas lights this winter to save energy as Russia clamps down on gas flows to Europe, according to non-profit environmental organization, Deutsche Umwelthilfe.

German Of The Day: Kreislaufzusammenbruch

That means circulatory collapse. That’s one of my favorate fake German illnesses.

Anybody here (generally women) can get it at any time under any circumstances.

12 Illnesses You Can Only Catch in German – There are illnesses that you can only catch in German. No, seriously! If you try to explain these illnesses in any other language, people are going to cock their heads in confusion or outright laugh at you.

Saudi Arabian Sleeze Not So Sleezy After All

When trying to wiggle your way out of your self-imposed energy dependency on Russia.

Don’t get me wrong. Germans are very concerned about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Very concerned. Or they were. Up until very recently.

Germany’s Scholz in Saudi Arabia as Gas Crunch Bites Economy – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looked Saturday to secure more energy supplies, meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to discuss future cooperation, including on hydrogen imports, as Europe’s largest economy struggles with fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war.

Talks between the two leaders in Jeddah dealt with the relationship between their countries, Scholz said. Germany is seeking to import “large amounts of hydrogen” amid a push to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, he said.