Berlin and other cities start saving

First modification: 07/29/2022 – 20:13

Germany takes urgent measures to save energy. In Berlin, the capital, 200 historic buildings turn off their lights at night. From Thursday, July 28, they began, among other emblematic buildings, the Berlin Cathedral, the Church of Santa Maria and the Old Palace.

Then, in the next three or four weeks, buildings such as the Victory Column, the Charlottenburg Palace, the Red Town Hall will do the same, as will the statues in the Tiergarten park.

The measure to turn off night lighting was taken by the Senate of the city-state of Berlin on Wednesday, July 27, to save electricity in the context of the war in Ukraine and Russia’s constant threat of cutting gas exports completely. . With this resolution, the German city will be able to save energy from the 1,400 bulbs used to illuminate these heritage sites.

Indeed, just two days ago the Russian giant Gazprom again reduced the capacity of natural gas that flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and went from 40% to 20% of supply, pointing to technical problems. But Germany calls it a deliberate move to sow uncertainty and raise prices amid the war in Ukraine due to Western sanctions.

Faced with the risk of energy shortages, the senator for the Environment of the left-wing city council of Berlin, Bettina Jarasch (Greens), said in a statement that “taking into account the war against Ukraine and the threats from Russia in terms of energy policy , it is important that we use our energy as carefully as possible.”

Jarasch explained that the total consumption of the night lighting of the Berlin monuments represents approximately 200,000 kilowatts per year, which corresponds to an expense of 40,000 euros, so that the measure is eminently symbolic.

Hannover presents an energy saving plan

The city of Hannover also presented an energy saving plan of 15% due to the expected shortage for this winter.

The town hall remains dark, there will be no hot water in public buildings or night lighting, hot showers have been eliminated from gyms and sports centers, there will no longer be heated pools and households will have to save or pay much more.

The media ‘DW’ explains that, in the next season of heating use for the winter months (October-March) in Hannover, “the ambient temperature in public buildings must be a maximum of 20 degrees Celsius, while for technical and storage spaces, a range of 10 to 15 °C will apply”.

Sports halls and gyms would also be asked to limit heating to 15°C, with no more hot water when showering.

The city’s mayor, Belit Onay, said Hanover was trying to prepare as best it could for an unpredictable situation. “This is a reaction to the imminent gas shortage, which poses a great challenge for municipalities,” Onay explained.

Households account for a third of gas consumption in Germany. “It is difficult to tell them how much gas they can consume, because they are protected by law (…) but now, I do not think that the police will go to all swimming pool owners to see if they are hot”, explained the Minister of the Economy, Robert Habeck, trying to say that saving should be a voluntary commitment of citizens.

Other cities in Germany such as Augsburg and Mainz have already introduced measures by turning off lights in certain areas and at specific times. They are also limiting heating in public buildings.

The cost of energy triples in Germany

According to ‘DW’, an average household of four people in a 100-square-meter apartment, which consumes 18,000 kilowatt-hours per year, paid 1,080 euros for natural gas last fall.

“If the current price is taken and the five cents for the gas surcharge (already announced by Germany) are added, it would be 3,240 euros per year. This corresponds to an average monthly income in Germany.

The German government estimates that “the rate that will be implemented to support the gas sector will entail additional costs of a few hundred euros in household energy bills”, although it warns that it is premature to try to specify its final scope.

Since April, the Government of the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has asked citizens for a national mobilization to save energy, whose prices have skyrocketed and whose supply could worsen in the coming winter months.

Before the Ukraine war, Germany bought 55% of its natural gas from Russia, a quota that was reduced to 35% in June, but which leaves the country at the mercy of gas cuts decided by Moscow. Furthermore, 35% of the crude oil and 45% of the coal used in Germany also comes from Russia.

With AFP, EFE and local media