Paying energy bills this winterm major worry for Germans: Survey

By Bahattin Gonultas

BERLIN (AA) – As a biting energy crisis pushes up costs throughout Europe, nearly 40% of German citizens believe they will either be unable or struggle to pay their bills this winter, according to a survey.

Some 50% of respondents under the age of 35 polled by German public broadcaster ARD said energy costs will be a major problem this winter.

Germany is among several European states dependent on Russia for their energy needs, all of whom are feeling the pinch as Moscow cuts supplies in response to the sanctions it is facing over the Ukraine war.

In Germany, the annual inflation rate stood at 7.9% in August, the highest in almost 50 years, largely due to soaring energy prices and food costs.

About 58% of the survey respondents with monthly income of less than €1,500 ($1,495) said they expect to face difficulties paying their winter bills, with the figure dropping slightly to 47% for those earning between €1,500 to €3,500.

Just under 60% of the respondents, however, were optimistic that they would not face electricity or gas shortages in the winter, while 36% were mentally prepared for outages in Germany in the coming months.

Another creeping fear among the German population is being laid off, with some 83% of the respondents, particularly low-income earners and young people, worried about losing their jobs, the survey found.

* Writing by Sevilay Beki from Istanbul