Cook or heat? This has been the motto of discussions in Europe in recent months, predicting the difficulties that its population will face in the winter of 2022/2023 (summer season in Brazil).
“We are under no illusions. We are on rough seas. A winter of discontent is on the horizon. People are suffering, with the most vulnerable suffering the most,” Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (20).
In addition to major state measures, there and then unexpected situations arise. The Swiss environment minister suggested a few days ago that, to save 15% of energy, people could shower together. After the statement became a joke on social media, Simonetta Sommaruga returned to the subject and clarified that the tip was intended for young people – after all, after a certain age, this can become inconvenient.
In the cold kingdom of Denmark, where the internal temperature of government buildings was set at 19°C, the measure was followed by private banks. So, so that cashiers and other employees don’t get cold, companies are distributing blankets for them to warm up during business hours — 1,800 in the case of Arbejdernes bank, according to its spokesperson, told Bloomberg.
Now, with the official arrival of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere this Friday (23), time seems to have run out. Despite the UK calling the situation a “winter catastrophe”, temperatures have already started to drop so that the use of heaters becomes urgent. The minimum in Berlin this Friday (23) was 4°C.
The Ukrainian War and the sanctions imposed on the regime of Vladimir Putin ended up, in response, turning off the tap on Russian gas, sending energy bill prices in the four largest European economies – Germany (GDP of € 3.6 trillion) into the stratosphere. in 2021), the United Kingdom (€2.7 trillion), France (€2.5 trillion) and Italy (€1.8 trillion).
Another major economy in the region, that is to say, is Russia, the world’s largest gas exporter, with €1.5 trillion of GDP in 2021. But this one will not be short of gas.
Germany
For nearly 50 years, Moscow has supplied Europe’s largest economy with gas, providing energy for businesses, homes and streets. Many in Eastern Europe are even more dependent than Berlin, but the German market has long been the jewel in the Russian gas sector’s crown, as Deutsche Welle has pointed out.
The Ukrainian War ended that tap, and the country is preparing for the worst winter in decades. “Changes to dampen rising energy prices and reduced profits in the electricity market” are part of the package announced by Prime Minister Olaf Scholz about two weeks ago.
“Germany is united in difficult times,” begins the government’s statement regarding a €65 billion relief package for the population. “The third one we’ve put together is bigger in scope than the first two put together,” Scholz said. Together they add up to €95 billion. And, according to Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the bottom line is: those who earn less will get more relief.
But the question that doesn’t shut up is when to turn on the heater. In recent days, newspapers have brought discussions on the topic, recommending that if the internal temperature drops below 16°C with no prospect of a rise in two days, then it’s time for the heating system.
As a way of mitigating the bills, energy concessionaires are recommending that consumers adjust the amount they pay monthly — in Germany, the system works more or less like the Income Tax in Brazil. The customer pays a fixed monthly amount, considering the size of the residence, the type of heating, number of residents, etc.; with a one-year contract, the company calculates the real expense and refunds what was overpaid (or charges the excess).
The government is already distributing the “fixed rate of energy price” in wages, a compensation for the suggested increase. They are up to €300, depending on the salary tax each pays. Other measures are aid until December of €415 per person (plus €100 per extra family member) using the housing allowance, exemption from social contribution for those earning up to €1,600, aid of €200 for students and increased aid for families of low income: each child will bring in €18 more per month for the next two years
UK
In a move that Brits said looked like a dystopian future or an episode of “Black Mirror”, the British program “This Morning Show” began rewarding viewers with paying electricity bills. Like a “Roletrando”, a painting by Silvio Santos on SBT, someone calls to participate and presenter Phillip Schofield spins the roulette wheel, which can stop at prizes of 1,000 pounds, 3,000 pounds or in the houses noted for “energy bills”.
In a scene that won the social networks, on the 5th, the participant won the payment of the tickets for the next four months. The response was, “Oh my God, thank you.”
At the end of August, Ofgem, the country’s gas and energy regulator, announced an 80% increase in bills starting in October – something less than in other European countries, as Russian gas represents only 4% of British consumption.
The average annual bill in England, from around £2,000, was expected to jump to close to £3,600. And there would be yet another increase in January, in the dead of winter, to £4,500. Two days after her inauguration, on 6 September, the new prime minister, Liz Truss, announced a freeze on tariffs to an average of £2,500 a year for the next two years.
His idea, instead of giving money to the population, as in Germany, is to transfer directly to the energy companies about 150 billion pounds, so that the bills stay that way. On the afternoon of that same day, however, Queen Elizabeth II died, interrupting all political discussions – including the energy crisis.
France
If Germany currently has only four nuclear plants in operation (after a plan to completely shut down its reactors), France still has 56 (although many are in a delicate state of maintenance). The use of this energy in the country is the highest in the world, accounting for about 70% of what is consumed.
This makes the country less vulnerable to catastrophe. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly declared that he wants to avoid power cuts, and earlier this month announced an agreement with Germany to supply its neighbour.
Even so, prices will rise — and national symbols, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles, are having their lights out earlier, to raise awareness. The Louvre pyramid, for example, which was lit until 1 am, now turns off at 11 pm.
Italy
“Our dependence [de gás russo]which was 40% last year, today it is at 25%”, said the outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi about two months ago. The measure, however, was not enough to hold the prices of the remaining energy, be it imported from other countries to replace the Russian one (such as Algeria), is produced domestically.
A 300% increase in electricity bills is expected, and a study by the Milan-based Ecco institute estimated that, with new contracts in hand, storage measures and regular energy needs, gas should not run out in 2023. In theory — on critical days, new suppliers may not be able to meet Italian demand.
None of this, however, holds back the wave of increases. In a case that became famous in the country, an ice cream man from Modena posted a video in which he said he was demoralized with his €5,128.99 bill, an increase of 489% over the same month. of 2021.
As in the UK, the energy crisis will be the main challenge for the new government. The country has legislative elections this Sunday (25).
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
