Rising energy and fuel prices in Germany are significantly impacting the daily habits of the population. According to a survey commissioned by the Verivox portal, nearly half of Germans have been forced to change their lifestyle due to high costs.
48% of survey participants stated that high energy and fuel prices are influencing their daily decisions. In particular, the rise in gasoline prices has prompted many to use their private cars less.
According to the results, 29% of respondents have started using bicycles instead of cars due to high gasoline prices. Another 24% of participants said they have switched to public transport. This situation shows how much transport costs are affecting the budgets of the population in Germany.
Energy prices are also forcing Germans to take a more serious approach to saving. Two-thirds of survey participants, or 67%, reported that they have started paying more attention to saving energy due to increased electricity and heating costs.
One of the most commonly used measures is to completely turn off unused electrical appliances instead of leaving them in standby mode. Even such a simple action can help reduce monthly expenses to some extent.
Additionally, 55% of those surveyed stated that they have lowered the temperature of their home heating systems. 47% of respondents said they have reduced their hot water usage. Thus, high costs are affecting not only transport but also simple household habits.
However, not everyone is adopting additional austerity measures. 27% of survey participants stated they are not saving energy. They explained this by saying they were already living frugally and there is no room left to cut back. Simply put, for some, the “saving mode” has already reached its maximum.
According to the German automobile club ADAC, gasoline and diesel prices on May 7 reached their lowest level since the beginning of March. Specifically, the average price of a liter of E10 gasoline was 1.984 euros, and diesel was 2.025 euros.
The decline in fuel prices is attributed to the drop in oil prices on the world market, as well as the “fuel discount” introduced by the German government for citizens at the beginning of May.
Nevertheless, a cautious mood remains among the population. While prices may drop temporarily, the pressure on people's budgets does not disappear immediately. The German example shows once again: when energy becomes expensive, people are forced to rethink not only their calculations but also their daily habits.
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