Energy Transition, Surcharge, Wind Energy or Solar? With so many thoughts, discussions, and proposals about energy, the question arises: what do Germans actually need all this energy for? And where will the energy come from in 2025? Our graphic clearly shows what energy is used for. Air conditioning, at one percent, is clearly not a major consumption factor. However, the fact that consumer and information technology-TVs, computers, and mobile phone charging stations-rank third at 17 percent is thought-provoking. Going out more and meeting friends in the pub in the evening, without DSDS, WhatsApp, and PC gaming, could reduce these costs.

However, we must not forget that electricity consumption in German households is generally declining, despite increased use of devices. Technology makes it possible:

Total Electricity Consumption in Private Households

Source: Destatis (as of March 2025)

However, the increase from 2020 to 2021 can only be explained by the pandemic, as people were forced to spend their time at home.

Renewable Energy on the Rise

In 2024, 59.4 percent of electricity in Germany was already generated from renewable sources. Conventional energy sources accounted for only 40.6 percent. Wind power was clearly in the lead as an energy source at 31.5 percent, ahead of photovoltaics at 13.8 percent. Biogas contributed 6.5 percent, and hydropower contributed 4.7 percent. Other renewable energy sources were reported at 2.9 percent.

Coal figures are inevitably declining; in 2024, 22.5 percent of electricity still came from coal-fired power plants, and gas accounted for 14.9 percent. The fact that nuclear energy is listed as zero in electricity generation in Germany is, however, a bit of an illusion (Source: Destatis). In 2024, four percent of electricity consumption in Germany was covered by foreign nuclear power (Source: Tagesschau).

Energy Efficiency Keeps Improving

The decline in electricity consumption, despite increased use of electrical devices, has two reasons. On the one hand, manufacturers are working to make household appliances ever more energy efficient. On the other hand, customers are also willing to pay a higher initial price for greater energy efficiency. The logic is that this pays off in the long run through lower electricity consumption. The Swiss government has published a study on this. Although the number of household and office appliances in Switzerland is lower, the products are the same as in Germany. We are only interested in one figure from this study, which is also applicable to Germany: the percentage energy consumption. Between 2001 and 2021, this fell by 16.3 percent, while the number of consumer devices (Swiss-specific, but still interesting) rose by 41.2 percent.

Energy Consumption in the Future

Our example from Switzerland shows that it is the interplay between research and production on the one hand, and the willingness of customers to pay more for more efficient products on the other, that can reduce energy consumption. This applies at least to private households. In the industrial sector, consumption will increase exponentially. AI, coin mining, super processors, to name just three examples, require enormous amounts of energy.

Of course, private households also have it in their hands to reduce their electricity consumption through usage habits. The more people meet in bars, the more TVs and lights stay off at home, and the per capita electricity consumption in the bar also drops.

In addition to buying energy-efficient appliances, how they are used also matters. Refrigerators should not be placed next to stoves or heaters; when cooking, it is advisable to always use a lid on pots. Never put hot food straight into the fridge, but let it cool down first. Cool food in the fridge before freezing it. Energy-saving buttons are nice, but even in power-saving mode, TVs, stereos, and similar devices consume electricity. Complete shutdown is the smarter solution. However, the worst energy guzzler in the household is old heating systems. Changing them can save thousands of euros over the years.