After Berlin placed Gazprom Germania under guardianship because of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Russia decided in May to halt the supply of a company that was a German subsidiary of Gazprom.

Since then, the Federal Network Agency, the energy sector regulator, has had to buy alternative gas from the market to fulfil supply contracts with German municipal utilities and regional suppliers.

The weekly Welt am Zontag, citing representatives of the gas industry, reported that Russian sanctions on Gazprom Germania and its subsidiaries could cost German taxpayers and gas users an additional 5 billion euros (5.4 2 million dollars per year) to pay for alternative gas.

Welt am Zontag reports that Economy Secretary Robert Habeck estimates an additional 10 million cubic metres per day is needed, which will currently cost the country about 3.5 billion euros per year.

Other costs arise from the filling of the natural gas storage facility in Reddin ordered by Habeck on Wednesday.

The paper also said that the additional costs will reach energy suppliers and end customers in the form of a gas tax from October.

Welt am Zontag added that the Ministry of Economy declined to comment on the amount of costs incurred.