Every German should contribute to reducing the nation’s dependence on Russian energy, federal Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck told the Funke Media Group on Friday, as he called on fellow citizens to start reducing their energy consumption, while offering several tips.
“As a rule of thumb, I would say: saving 10% is always possible,” Habeck said, urging “everyone to make a contribution to saving energy now” and announcing a government campaign. The Green politician said saving energy is not only part of the effort to “become more independent from Russian imports,” but also a “big joint project” that will help Germany in the long run.
“It will make it easier on the wallet and annoy [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” the minister said, adding that “we will protect climate on top of that.” The list of measures suggested by the minister involves using bicycles instead of cars, and “not just on Sundays,” as well as allowing people to work from home, as it had been during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.