Business · Energy & Commodities · 12 hrs ago
Germany’s energy use is forecast to fall nearly 3% in 2026
Germany’s energy use fell 3.6% in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to the AGEB energy group.
Experts expect a nearly 3% drop for the full year.
They point to high energy prices and weak economic growth as the main reasons.
Heating oil use fell more than 38% as households used existing stocks and bought only small amounts at high prices.
Renewable energy’s share rose to 22.5% of total energy use, up from 20.5% a year earlier, but oil, gas and coal still supplied most of the energy.
Energy-related carbon emissions are forecast to fall nearly 4% this year.
Germany’s energy consumption is forecast to fall by nearly 3% in 2026 compared with the previous year, according to the AGEB.
The experts attribute the expected decline mainly to high energy prices and weak economic growth.
Energy use fell 3.6% in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Light heating oil consumption dropped by more than 38% from January to September.
Renewable energy accounted for 22.5% of Germany’s energy use in the first nine months, up from 20.5% a year earlier.
- Who
- Germany’s energy consumers; the forecast is from the AGEB.
- What
- Total energy consumption is forecast to fall by nearly 3% in 2026 compared with 2025.
- When
- The forecast is for 2026. It is based on data for the first nine months of the year.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- Experts cite persistently high energy prices and weak economic growth.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Energy consumption fell 3.6% compared with the same period a year earlier.
The AGEB forecast that full-year energy consumption would fall by nearly 3% compared with 2025.
- Full-year forecast
- Nearly 3% decline in energy consumption in 2026
- First nine months
- Energy consumption fell 3.6% year on year
- Light heating oil
- Consumption fell by more than 38% from January to September
- Renewables’ share
- 22.5% in the first nine months of 2026, up from 20.5% a year earlier
- Electricity balance
- Net exports of 1.9 terawatt-hours in the first nine months of 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
Consumption trends were marked by falling sales of mineral oil and a further decline in the contribution of lignite.