Breweries told to stop making BEER after Putin chokes energy supply to Germany that could cancel Oktoberfest
GERMAN breweries have been told to stop the production of beer amid fears Oktoberfest will be cancelled after Russia cut off gas supplies.
Hanover has become the first major European city to be affected by tinpot despot Putin's decision.
Officials have announced that heating in public buildings and swimming pools will be switched off.
Meanwhile, Berlin has started switching off spotlights lighting up its historic monuments and the city of Augsburg has decided to turn off public fountains.
Other cities are expected to join the efforts to save energy while the gas shortage threatens other parts of German life.
Famous event Oktoberfest may yet be cancelled for the third year in a row. It was axed in 2020 and 2021 for the pandemic.
READ MORE ON PUTIN
Rosi Steinberger, a member of Bavaria’s regional parliament told the that the country's Christmas markets could also be pulled.
And non-essential industries - including Bavaria's breweries - could be forced to shut down in a bid to conserve energy amid rocketing gas prices.
Germans have been warned of an upcoming "gas surcharge" on top of their already high energy bills to prevent suppliers from going bankrupt.
Robert Habeck, the economy minister said: "We can't say yet how much gas will cost in November, but the bitter news is it's definitely a few hundred euros per household."
Most read in The Sun
The new charge will be in place in October and is set to last at least until March 2024.
Elsewhere, Belgium has reversed its phase-out of nuclear energy, while the Netherlands and Austria are switching to coal-fired power plants.
The energy crisis was sparked earlier this week when Russian-state energy giant Gazprom strangled supplies by 20 per cent.
Hanover's mayor Belit Onay said the "imminent gas shortage" meant he had to cut energy consumption by 15 per cent in the Lower Saxony capital.
Before the Ukraine war, Germany bought 55 per cent of its natural gas from Russia.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has launched a national drive to save energy, with the EU agreeing this week to slash Russian gas use across the bloc.
Read More on The Sun
Turning off air con, promoting public transport and even pushing for more efficient shower heads are included in the drastic efforts to cut energy consumption in Germany.
Officials have warned that the Kremlin could cut off supplies this winter in furious retaliation for crippling Western sanctions against Moscow for the war.