The public administration wants to set an example: the heating of offices and public buildings will be limited to 19°C from September 1, according to a decree signed today
Capping public administration thermostats and cutting hot water supplies to public buildings: Germany, worried about gas shortages, today announced a series of energy-saving measures accompanied by an appeal to private individuals and businesses to follow suit.
“We don’t want to measure the temperature in bedrooms and individual freedom has value,” but the measures “appeal to the responsibility of households to contribute” to reducing energy consumption, explained Economy Minister Robert Hambeck.
The public administration wants to set an example: the heating of offices and public buildings will be limited to 19°C from September 1, according to a decree signed today.
Heating will be limited to 12°C in areas where workers carry out intense manual work.
The heating will be off in common areas such as hallways, and there will be no hot water for hand washing.
In businesses, minimum temperatures will be lowered – in a bid to encourage the private sector to join the effort.
Hospitals and social institutions are exempt from the measures.
In the sector of private rental housing, private owners can decide to reduce the heating below the minimum temperatures stipulated by the energy saving contracts.
The measures announced today will save 2% of natural gas consumption in Germany.
“This means we still have a long way to go,” warned Robert Habeck, as Europe’s biggest economy would have to cut consumption by 20% to avoid shortages this winter, according to forecast models. .
“Without a general participation of businesses, but also of the population, we will not save enough natural gas,” insisted the Minister of Economy.
The illuminated signs go out after 10
Other measures decided include that shops will not be able to keep their doors open if they are heating up, night lighting of buildings will be banned and illuminated advertisements will be switched off between 22.00 and 06.00.
In private swimming pools, heating will be prohibited from September 1 and for a period of six months, if electricity or natural gas from the public network is used for heating.
For weeks, Chancellor Olaf Solz’s government has been calling for a national mobilization to save energy.
Germany’s dependence on Russian gas at the start of June stood at 35%, up from 55% before the Ukraine war. Natural gas is used to heat 50% of German households.
RES-EMP
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