Air conditioners in Greece up to 27° in summer and up to 19° in winter, in Germany they are preparing for hot water mode

Office temperatures in Greece’s public offices, for example, must be no lower than 27 degrees in summer and no higher than 19 degrees in winter under new targets to reduce public sector energy consumption by 10%. The boundaries of “Operation Thermostat” are defined by the Ministers of the Interior, Environment and Energy, State Administration and Finance. The ruling mandates that all heating and cooling air systems be turned off when buildings are unoccupied and at night. Offices should also install energy-efficient lighting.

Government offices can apply for an increase in their budget as a reward,

if they succeed in meeting the targets for reducing energy consumption, which will be monitored through an online application.

Germany also fears a complete stoppage of Russian gas supplies. The population is urged to save energy. Experts appeal, for example, to reduce the temperature of the water for bathing, to install faucets on the taps that reduce the amount of flowing water, to turn off the electrical appliances completely. The greatest potential for savings, however, is in heating – because about 70% of all energy used by households goes there.

In some places, far more drastic measures are being considered. The environmental senator of Hamburg, Jens Kerstan, does not rule out the possibility that, in case of need, a regime of hot water for households in the city could be introduced and that it would be released only at certain times of the day.

“If the flow of gas from Russia “continues to decrease, we will have to seriously think about savings,” said Klaus Müller, president of the Federal Network Agency, as quoted by Deutsche Welle. He urged all property owners to quickly check the health of their heating installations. The prevention of installations can reduce the amount of gas consumed by 10 – 15%.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has already expressed concerns that

it is possible that Russia will stop all gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream 1

From July 11 onwards, there is a risk of a complete blockade, Habek said. Therefore, supply in the coming winter may prove to be really problematic. The quantities of gas needed for the summer months are secured, he emphasized. In the event of a shutdown of Russian supplies, households as well as hospitals and nursing homes will be protected. The authorities are determined to do everything necessary so that the supply of gas to private households is not stopped.

Henkel is the first company to announce measures to save gas. The concern stated that they are starting to re-introduce an enhanced home office. “This way we can seriously reduce the temperature in the offices, and our employees can be heated normally at home”, said the executive director Karsten Knobel to the “Rainische Post”.

The head of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, also warned of the danger of a struggle for the distribution of gas in Europe. “It is likely that there will be serious conflicts within the EU over the distribution of gas – as in 2015 and 2016, when there was a refugee crisis,” he said.

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