Germans are taking more cold showers as Russia doubles down on energy cuts

• German cities are implementing energy saving measures amid the threat of a Russia oil cutoff.
• Some residents are taking cold showers and air-drying laundry as a result, local media reported.

Germans are cutting back on oil-fueled modern luxuries in hopes that rationing today can help prevent blackouts down the line as a bleak winter without Russian gas looms.

Some residents say they are taking cold showers, air-drying their laundry, and switching to LED lightbulbs to deal with the energy crisis spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Local, a German news outlet, reported earlier in September.

"We are not using our dryer; taking cooler, shorter showers, and plan to only heat two rooms in our house this winter," a 39-year-old Berlin resident said in a recent survey administered by the news outlet.

Out of all European Union member states, Germany is the most dependent on Russian oil. The perilous position has prompted an energy conservation campaign spanning from the individual up to federal levels — with one Berlin resident saying he takes cold showers as a "small anti-Putin gesture."

Some German companies are also implementing energy restrictions as a cost-saving measure. Electricity prices in Germany have skyrocketed more than 600% this year as a result of soaring natural gas prices.

Vonovia, a German real estate group, previously told Insider that it will lower tenants' heating during the night between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to "save as much gas as possible" and reduce heating costs by an estimated 8%.

In Dippoldiswalde, a city in Germany's Saxony region, some tenants have been banned from taking hot showers between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and after 9 p.m., according to a July Facebook post from a local housing cooperative. In Hanover, hot showers are no longer permitted at public pools.

Prior to the war, over half of Germany's natural gas came from Russia — now it's down to 35%. But officials fear extreme shortages may take place this winter if Russia cuts off its remaining oil supply to Europe in retaliation against Western sanctions.

"We want to free ourselves as quickly as possible from the grip of Russian energy imports," Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters in August, adding that while the current measures will help reduce the country's overall energy consumption, it's not enough.

Starting in September, the German government implemented new rules to limit energy usage at public buildings and monuments. Private pool heating and shop lighting at night may also be capped, Reuters reported.

The city of Hanover published a list of restrictions in late July that include limiting office electronics such as printers, shutting off hot water in public sinks (excluding hospitals and schools), turning off public fountains, and limiting room temperature in municipal buildings to a maximum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The aim is to reduce our energy consumption by 15 percent. This is a reaction to the impending gas shortage, which poses a major challenge for the municipalities - especially for a large city like Hanover," Belit Onay, the mayor of Hanover, said in the press release. "Every kilowatt hour saved protects the gas storage."

Has your life been impacted by the energy crisis in Europe? Have plans to move to a different country this winter? Email this reporter at htowey@insider.com to share your story.