“We’re running into a gap” – Why the gas crisis is worsening

Berlin The tense situation on the gas market is becoming more and more threatening for large industrial consumers. “It cannot be ruled out that contracts with interruptible deliveries will be drawn this winter,” says Timm Kehler, head of the “Zukunft Gas” industry association, the Handelsblatt. That means: corporate customers who have agreed to an interruption of the supply under certain conditions with their gas suppliers could turn off the gas in the coming weeks.

Such delivery interruption clauses have existed for years. They can be worthwhile for gas customers, for example, if they have access to alternatives such as oil or coal in the event of a delivery stop or if they can cut back on production. In return, the gas supplier grants a price reduction. However, the industry does not see the risk that apartments will stay cold due to possible delivery stops. Heating customers are particularly protected from such interruptions in the gas supply.