– Every kilowatt hour counts – VG

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The backdrop is considerable unrest in the EU regarding the energy supply for the winter and fear of the loss of all Russian gas.

It reports, among other things BBC and The Guardianwho points out that Germany is more dependent on Russian gas imports than other European countries.

In the German capital Berlin, several lights on around 200 historic monuments and public buildings were switched off overnight on Wednesday to save energy, including the Victory Column in the Tiergarten park and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche church at Breitscheidplatz.

– The war in Ukraine and Russia’s threats are crucial for us to handle our energy with as much caution as possible, says member of parliament in Berlin, Bettina Jarasch.

In the German city of Munich, fountains are also turned off at night.

– The situation is unpredictable

The city of Hannover in northwestern Germany announced energy-saving measures on Wednesday, including turning off the hot water in public buildings, swimming pools and gyms.

Municipal buildings will only be heated from 1 October to 31 March, with a maximum room temperature of 20 degrees. In fitness centers the maximum temperature is 15 degrees.

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The use of mobile heaters, air conditioners and fan heaters is not permitted. The city authorities are also encouraged to reduce the use of electrical appliances such as refrigerators and printers. Kindergartens, schools, care homes and hospitals are exempt from the restrictions.

– The situation is unpredictable. Every kilowatt hour counts and protecting critical infrastructure must be a priority, says the city’s mayor, Belit Onay, who wants to cut energy consumption by 15 percent.

Similar measures are also being introduced in Leipzig, Nuremberg and Cologne.

– A decisive step

The EU itself produces little gas, while Russia accounts for 43 percent of the EU’s gas imports, shows the EU’s own figures. On Tuesday, EU member states agreed to a plan for a voluntary cut in gas consumption of 15 per cent from 1 August.

– The EU has taken a decisive step to stand up to the threat of a full gas cut from Putin, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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On Thursday last week, the German authorities confirmed that gas prices may be higher than expected for customers, in order to avoid energy companies going bankrupt in the coming months.

– We cannot say exactly how much gas will cost in November, but it will definitely be a couple of hundred euros per household, said Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

Challenging

– War in Ukraine not only has consequences for the countries that are directly involved, but for the rest of Europe. Germany must do what it can to secure its energy supply. They want to prepare for winter, says researcher at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI), Jakub M. Godzimirski, to VG.

The researcher has previously stated, in connection with that Germany reopens coal-fired power plants in defiance of its own climate policy, that Russia itself could have major problems if gas exports disappear.

– It is about the fact that energy and gas are a kind of backbone for the Russian economy. The Russian gas is strongly linked to the European market, and there is no other way to transport the gas apart from this infrastructure, he told VG in mid-July.

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Nord Stream 1 delivers gas to Europe from Russia via Germany, and earlier in July was closed for ten days due to maintenance.

The state-owned Russian energy company Gazprom announced on Monday that it would cut the supply of gas to 33 million cubic meters per day, about 20 percent of the pipeline’s capacity, according to NTB.

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Russia has already shut off gas supplies to a number of European countries, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Bulgaria and Poland. Italy and France have also had their deliveries reduced.

Godzimirski describes the situation as challenging, but does not think it will be relevant for Norway to introduce energy-saving measures due to the country’s resources.

– Europe has the will and ability to survive without Russian gas. It is not certain how the sanctions will affect Russia, so this is another step taken to increase the effect.

Gazprom announced on Saturday morning that it will also close the gas supply to Latvia.

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