Germans are using too much gas to avoid a potential energy "emergency" this winter, the head of Germany's national grid regulator Klaus Mueller complained, AP reported.

"Gas consumption increased by too much last week," Müller said.

As natural gas flows from Russia declined, German officials urged citizens to reduce gas consumption and conserve energy during the colder months.

Data from the national grid regulator show that gas consumption is increasing rather than decreasing. They said gas consumption last week among households and small businesses was nearly 10 percent higher than the 2018-2021 average.

"We will hardly be able to avoid a gas emergency in winter without at least 20% savings in the private, commercial and industrial sectors,” Mueller said. “The situation can become very serious if we do not significantly reduce our gas consumption.”