The German government adopted a package of measures to save energy, including limiting workplace heating to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius.
The measures, which should enter into force by the end of February next year, foresee that stairs and corridors will no longer be heated, while in workplaces that require heavy physical work, rooms will be heated up to 12 degrees.
Medical institutions, kindergartens and schools are excluded from this rule.
Shops and businesses are prohibited from opening the front door for long periods of time to prevent heat loss, and homes are prohibited from heating the pool with gas or electricity.
The government’s measures to save energy also apply to the lighting of business premises. Illuminated advertisements as well as lighting in shop windows may not be switched on between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, with the exception of shop windows in pedestrian underpasses.
Public buildings will no longer be allowed to use external lighting, including the lighting of cultural monuments, the government has decided.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that these measures could save up to two and a half percent of total energy consumption in Germany. The government’s target is 20 percent, “We are facing a task of national proportions. Every contribution matters”.