Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has urged Germans to save energy in order to “annoy Putin,” as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian gas amidst the war in Ukraine.
In an interview on Friday with German media group Funke, the green leaning politician said “I urge everyone to contribute to energy savings now.”
“If you can ride your bike or take the train this Easter, that’s good too. This helps you save money and it pisses off Putin,” he added.
Germany, which is heavily dependent on imported gas from Russia, is currently seeking ways to reduce its energy dependence on Russia.
“As a general rule of thumb, I would say you are always able to save ten percent of energy. And there are very simple actions that, when put together, add up.”
“If you heat your apartment and close the curtains at night, for example, you save up to five percent of energy. And if you lower the room temperature by one degree, that’s about six percent,” the Minister pointed out. “It may not be as comfortable, but you still won't get cold.”
Germany, which before the war in Ukraine bought more than half its gas from Russia, has already reduced that share to 40 percent. It has stepped up its efforts to find alternatives and has accelerated its pursuit to renewable energy sources. However, the country does not expect to be able to completely phase out Russian gas until at least 2024, according to Belga news agency.
