Two-thirds of Germans (67 percent) say they are actively reducing their energy consumption in response to soaring costs driven by the Iran conflict and surging oil prices, according to a representative survey commissioned by the comparison platform Verivox and published by Funke Mediengruppe newspapers.
Among those making changes, 56 percent have stopped leaving electronic devices on standby, 52 percent are deliberately cutting their electricity usage, 55 percent have turned down the heating, and 47 percent are using less hot water.
The spike in fuel prices is also reshaping how Germans get around. Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) say they are driving less often. Many are switching to bicycles (29 percent) or using public transport more frequently (24 percent).
About 27 percent of respondents say they have not changed their energy habits. The most common reason, cited by 52 percent of that group, is that they were already living frugally and see no further room to save.
Energy prices in Germany jumped sharply after the start of US-Israeli military operations against Iran. The German government has introduced a fuel discount (Tankrabatt) in an effort to cushion the impact on consumers.
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