Heating checks will be mandatory, private pools will not be allowed to be heated with gas in winter, and heating will be turned off in hallways. The filling levels for gas storage are increased.
Home office and company holidays in one block: Economics Minister Robert Habeck still sees a lot of potential for saving energy.
With a new package, Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to oblige private households and public institutions to save more energy. The provision for the winter must be strengthened, said Habeck on Thursday. «We will need staying power. Because we not only have to think about this winter, but also about the following one,” says Habeck.
The background is that gas is being supplied again via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, but much less than is technically possible. Utilization is currently around 40 percent. The situation is very uncertain, said Habeck. Germany must be prepared for the fact that deliveries from Russia would be further curtailed.
With these measures, Germany should save even more gas
Specifically, Habeck said that rooms that are not used regularly, such as corridors and foyers, should no longer be heated – unless there are safety requirements. For public facilities and office buildings, this should be regulated in regulations. Habeck also sees an important contribution in expanding home office and company holidays in the block. This should be discussed with the social partners.
A regulation should also regulate that private pools may no longer be heated with gas this winter. On the other hand, tenants should be released from the obligation to maintain a certain minimum temperature in their apartment. In addition, a heating check for gas heating systems should become mandatory. This also includes technical settings, such as lowering the flow temperatures or heating less at night.
Lignite-fired power plants should work again
The lignite reserve is also to be activated on October 1st. So far, this has already been the case for the reserve at hard coal-fired power plants. Lignite power plants can then also return to the electricity market and replace natural gas power plants. Together with the Ministry of Transport, there should be an ordinance that would give preference to the transport of coal and oil by rail.
According to Habeck, the filling levels of the gas storage tanks should be 75 percent full by September 1, by October 1 instead of 80 percent, then to 85 percent and by November 1 instead of 90 percent to 95 percent. The Greens politician pointed out that 17 of the 22 gas storage facilities in Germany had already reached the 80 percent mark. However, the largest German storage facility in Rehden in Lower Saxony is significantly lower. Habeck criticized the energy supplier Uniper, which had got into financial difficulties and was already delivering gas stored due to the high prices. It is not right to release gas from the storage facilities in this phase, said Habeck.
Habeck emphasized that a lot has already been achieved in cooperation with all ministries as well as cities and municipalities. “Everyone recognized the seriousness of the situation. Municipalities reduce the temperature in outdoor and indoor pools, public buildings should be heated less, the heating systems should be replaced,” said Habeck. The sum of all contributions will help “so that we can get through this winter and be prepared for the next one”.