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EU to seek cuts in heating, cooling of buildings to save gas
In order to better withstand the drastic fall in Russian gas supplies, which could be cut off altogether, the commission is expected to urge governments across the 27-nation bloc to set limits on the amount of energy used by public buildings, offices, commercial properties and outdoor terraces.
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This file photo taken on November 8, 2011 shows the Nordstream gas pipeline terminal prior to an inaugural ceremony for the first of Nord Stream's twin 1,224 kilometre gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea, in Lubmin, northeastern Germany. The Nord Stream pipeline, which supplies Germany with most of its Russian gas, will be shut down for routine maintenance from Monday, July 11, 2022 -- with fears rising that it may remain off for good.
(AFP/John MacDougall)
T
he European Commission is expected next week to ask EU countries to reduce heating and cooling of public buildings and offices to cut demand for gas, according to a document seen by AFP.
In order to better withstand the drastic fall in Russian gas supplies, which could be cut off altogether, the commission is expected to urge governments across the 27-nation bloc to set limits on the amount of energy used by public buildings, offices, commercial properties and outdoor terraces.
For optimal energy use, it will recommend the rules require that public buildings be heated to no more than 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) and cooled by air conditioning units set no lower than 25°C (77°F°).
"Energy saved during the summer is energy that can be used in winter," the commission points out in the document.
Energy experts say lowering the thermostat by one degree could cut a building's heating bill by about 10 percent. Air conditioning units generally struggle and fail to cool a room below 20°C so they waste energy trying.
The recommendation is part of a series of measures Brussels is investigating to cut the European Union's gas consumption by 25 to 60 billion cubic metres (880 to 2,120 billion cubic feet) per year.
The EU imported around 140 bcm of gas by pipeline from Russia last year, according to the International Energy Agency.
