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Cold Snap Pushes German Heating Bills Higher as District Heat and Gas Lead Increases

Higher consumption during the cold spell outweighed recent energy price declines, according to Techem.

Overview

  • Techem forecasts average household heating costs rising 8.6% in winter 2025/26 despite lower market prices for gas, electricity and heating oil.
  • By energy type, projected increases are district heating +13.2%, gas +9.7%, electricity +9.2% and heating oil +2.4%.
  • Regional impacts vary, with Baden-Württemberg (+14.2%), Saxony (+13.3%) and Saxony-Anhalt (+12.2%) up the most, while Schleswig-Holstein (+2.8%), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (+5.8%) and Lower Saxony (+5.9%) see smaller gains.
  • City-level estimates show Karlsruhe (+21%), Halle (Saale) (+14.8%) and Dresden (+14.6%) with the steepest jumps, compared with modest changes in Kiel (+0.7%), Oberhausen (+2.9%) and Solingen (+2.7%).
  • Energy advisers recommend lowering temperatures during absence or at night, using smart thermostats that renters can later reverse on move-out, and applying continuous monitoring and optimized control that could save about 15%.