Wed, Aug 31, 2022 page9

• Why Europeans are saying goodbye to hot showers and street lights

  Countries from Spain to Finland are lowering room and water temperatures, and dimming lights to slash energy use and avoid winter shortages

  • Bloomberg
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  Europeans are taking colder showers, offices are turning down thermostats and stores are dimming lights to avoid blackouts and freezing homes this winter due to the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

  As the Kremlin slashes gas deliveries and power-plant outages intensify a supply squeeze, Europe has little alternative but to curtail demand. Measures so far have been uneven, but the urgency is growing as wholesale prices continue to surge.

  While some countries such as Germany, where nearly half the homes rely on gas for heating, are more exposed than others, the EU is seeking to band together. The bloc’s member states aim to cut gas use by 15 percent through this winter if Russia — which historically covered about 40 percent of EU demand for the fuel — turns off the tap.

  

  Illustration: Mountain People

  Here is an overview of some of the key initiatives to curb energy usage:

  GERMANY

  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet last week approved a raft of measures to help cut gas consumption by one-fifth during the fall and winter.

  The national measures, which add to steps taken by municipalities across Germany, such as cutting off warm water in public pools, are aimed at reducing gas use by about 2 percent and include a ban on heating private swimming pools; no longer heating some areas in public buildings; lowering the minimum office temperature to 19°C; banning most outside lighting for buildings and monuments; and boosting energy efficiency in public and private buildings.

  FRANCE

  French President Emmanuel Macron has set a target to reduce energy consumption in 2024 by 10 percent from 2019’s level.

  His administration last month set up a series of working groups focused on government operations, real estate, tech and telecoms, and shopping centers and other public sites. The goal is to have specific proposals by the end of next month.

  While there have been few concrete steps so far, there have been a smattering of initiatives. By October, French supermarket chains must turn off illuminated store signs after closing, and retail spaces must reduce lighting by 30 percent and lower temperatures to 17°C during peak shopping hours, if there is government guidance to do so.

  To set an example, the French Ministry of Economics and Finance said it would only turn on the heat when office temperatures fall below 19°C, and would not cool unless it gets hotter than 26°C.

  ITALY

  A fresh plan to reduce Italy’s consumption could be approved at a cabinet meeting as early as this week.

  Energy prices have become a key issue of the campaign ahead of a snap Sept. 25 election to replace Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The center-left is proposing price controls for electricity, a move criticized by frontrunner Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, who instead wants an EU-wide initiative.

  According to Italian media, the country’s savings plan could include lowering temperatures and shortening heating hours in homes and offices during winter to cut gas used for heating by more than 10 percent; reducing public and shop lighting at night; and extending the life of coal plants to reduce gas used for power generation.

  Factory halts might be part of the plan, but several energy-intensive industries are already curtailing operations because of spiraling costs.

  SPAIN

  In a rare step to legally mandate lower consumption, Spanish lawmakers on Thursday passed rules put in place by decree early this month.

  The steps include limiting air conditioning to 27°C in public buildings and most businesses, as well as in airports and train stations; setting heating at no more than 19°C in winter, although exceptions include hotel rooms, restaurant kitchens, hair salons, gyms, schools and hospitals; banning the lighting of monuments and shop windows at night; and requiring shop doors to be closed whenever heating or cooling systems are on.

  SWITZERLAND

  In line with the EU target, Switzerland plans to ask, but not compel, households and businesses to cut gas use by 15 percent from October to March by taking steps such as lowering indoor heating temperatures.

  The government is setting the same target for its own administration to set a “good example.”

  If the voluntary approach does not work, the government is consulting on compulsory measures, including forcing gas-burning industrial plants to switch to oil and supply reductions for the public sector.

  For now, Switzerland is saying that private households would be exempt from any compulsory rationing.

  FINLAND

  Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government announced a campaign challenging consumers and households, as well as companies and organizations to reduce consumption, targeting 75 percent of its citizens to take part.

  The joint campaign by the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and other organizations was announced on Thursday and has a long-term goal to permanently lower energy use.

  The campaign is to formally start in October and proposes lowering indoor temperatures; increasing the use of public transport, and motorists driving at slower speeds; taking shorter showers; and reducing time spent on digital devices.

  SWEDEN

  Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s government hopes to use about US$5.8 billion in so-called bottleneck revenue to compensate households and companies, and the Swedish Energy Agency has presented tips to help cut energy use in domestic homes, including insulating attics and facades, with the government offering a tax rebate for associated labor costs; switching to more efficient water taps; sealing, renovating or replacing windows and exterior doors; and supplementing heating systems with a heat pump.

  DENMARK

  Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s administration has not set concrete reduction targets beyond the EU’s goal of a 15 percent cut in gas use, which it has already been reached.

  Authorities have given a number of recommendations for Danes to follow, including shutting down heating systems over the summer; cutting daily hot showers to five minutes from 15 minutes, saving an average household about US$700 a year; using a clothesline instead of a tumble dryer to save households about US$350 annually; and running household appliances, such as dishwashers, at night to take advantage of cheaper, off-peak power prices.

  THE NETHERLANDS

  The Dutch government is not implementing measures specifically for this winter, and the state-owned gas company has said the country would have enough supplies until spring.

  However, the “Save Energy Now” campaign encourages people to make their homes more efficient by using heat pumps, ventilation with a heat-recovery function, solar water heating and better insulation for roofs, floors and windows.

  AUSTRIA

  Vienna has pledged to save some costs by delaying the start of winter lighting for Christmas markets, while ski centers might also reduce offerings by blasting less artificial snow and limiting night-time operations.

  The national government has yet to impose mandatory measures, with the country on track to fill one of the continent’s largest gas storage networks to 80 percent of capacity.

  GREECE

  Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government in June announced measures to curb public-sector energy use by 10 percent in the near future and by 30 percent by the end of the decade.

  Authorities are to offer financial incentives to organizations that save energy and create a digital system to monitor consumption.

  Measures include temperature controls in buildings; turning off lights and computers; and changes to street lighting.

  IRELAND

  Ireland is exempt from the EU target because it gets most of its gas from the UK, but the country is still encouraging people to reduce their power use this winter via the “Reduce Your Use” campaign.
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