World Water Day: Hot water consumption in German households down by 12% - but costs continue to rise
Press Releases - 21.03.2025
- Analysis of the hot water consumption of 1.4 million apartments in around 200,000 buildings
- Hot water consumption fell sharply between 2012 and 2023 - while costs rose at the same time
- Digital, low-investment solutions improve the efficiency of hot water and systems
Eschborn, March 21, 2025: During the coronavirus pandemic, hot water consumption in German apartment buildings reached an eight-year high, but fell again in 2023 in the wake of the energy crisis. Despite lower consumption, hot water costs increased for many consumers. This is the result of a recent analysis by energy service provider Techem at on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, 2025.
The study carried out by the Techem Research Institute on Sustainability (TRIOS) analyzed consumption data from around 200,000 properties with around 1.4 million homes over the period from 2012 to 2023. While hot water consumption remained almost constant at around 0.25 m³/m² of living space between 2012 and 2019, it rose to 0.26 m³/m² during the pandemic in 2020 and fell to 0.22 m³/m² by 2023. The same applies to cold water consumption, which rose to 0.53 m³/m² in 2020 and fell to 0.5 m³/m² in 2023.
Despite this reduction in consumption, hot water costs have risen measurably since 2021. One key reason for this is the reduced efficiency of hot water preparation. If less hot water is used, it remains in the pipe system for longer, which leads to higher heat losses and therefore rising costs.
Digital solutions for greater efficiency and lower loss
Digital, low-investment solutions such as Techem's digital boiler room not only ensure transparency with regard to the correct system settings, but also reveal potential for more efficient hot water heating and space heating. Digital sensor technology and AI-based remote analysis are used to continuously monitor operating states, derive recommendations for action and improve the energy efficiency of heating systems through optimized settings - for every system and every energy source. In this way, an average of 15 percent energy can be saved and emissions avoided.
Image information: While hot water consumption remained almost constant at around 0.25 m³/m² of living space between 2012 and 2019, it rose to 0.26 m³/m² during the pandemic in 2020 and fell to 0.22 m³/m² by 2023. (Copyright: nikkytok / Shutterstock)
About TRIOS
The Techem Research Institute on Sustainability (TRIOS) contributes to the determination and reduction of Techem's operational emissions and also conducts data analysis and applied research in the field of energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization of residential buildings.
About Techem
Techem is a leading service provider of digital and innovative solutions for the efficient operation of residential and commercial properties. The company’s services cover energy management, consumption tracking and transparency, safety and comfort, as well as process efficiency in real estate. Founded in 1952, the company now operates in 18 countries with over 4,300 employees and manages more than 13.5 million residential units. Techem supports property owners and managers in analyzing heat and water consumption in buildings and identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements. As a market leader in wireless remote monitoring of energy consumption in housing, Techem is driving the further advancement of connectivity and digitalization of processes in real estate. Modern multisensory devices, wireless smoke detectors with remote inspection, metering point management, charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, and services related to drinking water quality complete the portfolio of solutions for the residential and commercial real estate sectors. Further information can be found at https://www.techem.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
