Germany to fund strategic gas reserve with consumer levy

Germany plans to create a strategic emergency gas reserve of about 24 terawatt‑hours, to be built from summer 2027 over two to three years. The government will finance the reserve by adding a temporary levy to household energy bills, estimated at roughly €5‑7 per month for an average family, with larger contributions from industrial users. The measure aims to safeguard supply during geopolitical disruptions and to prevent cold homes or production stoppages.

The levy is presented as a short‑term, income‑adjusted charge, with safeguards for low‑income households. At the same time, Germany is seeing a rapid shift toward heat‑pump heating; gas‑heater sales have fallen sharply while heat‑pump installations rose 55 % in 2025. Subsidies for heat‑pump conversions will be phased out starting July 2026, further encouraging the transition away from gas heating.