Berlin, Jun 11 (IANS): The German government is urging consumers and businesses to save energy amid soaring energy prices and inflation, with a national awareness campaign launch.

"Anyone who saves energy helps Germany become less dependent on Russian imports and takes care of the climate," said Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Economic Affairs and the Environment Minister.

The campaign is also supported by labor unions, environmental organisations and consumer associations, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a survey published on Friday by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries, 77 per cent of Germans are currently saving energy, mainly to reduce costs.

Driven by soaring energy prices, inflation in Germany hit 7.9 per cent in May, according to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This was the highest level since the first oil crisis in the winter of 1973-1974.

"Consumer prices will rise even more this year than they did in the early 1980s," Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said on Friday.

The country's central bank lowered its economic growth forecast for 2022 to 1.9 per cent, after predicting an increase of 4.2 per cent back in December 2021.

Environmentalists have criticised the German government's endeavour, saying that the campaign "aimed at individual households does not do justice to the magnitude of the task".

"Ten per cent less energy consumption in all sectors is the target against which industry and the federal government in particular must be measured," said Antje von Broock, Managing Director of Friends of the Earth Germany.