Include public buildings: Habeck appeals to companies to save money

Include public buildings
Habeck appeals to companies to save money

In view of the impending gas crisis, Robert Habeck is counting on companies to make savings. Office towers do not have to be heated to over 20 degrees all the time, says the Economics Minister. At the same time, he is campaigning for further relief payments in the coming year.

Because of the impending shortage of gas in the coming winter, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has called on companies with office space to help save energy. Even public buildings do not have to be fully heated in off-peak times, Habeck told the editorial network Germany (RND).

According to the German Association of Cities, the cities are already trying everything to reduce their gas consumption. The crisis teams of the cities are working on a step-by-step procedure for when you know how the gas supply is, said general manager Helmut Dedy on Deutschlandfunk. The background to the discussion is the uncertain supply of Germany and Europe with Russian natural gas as an indirect consequence of the Ukraine war.

Operation of Nord Stream 1 remains uncertain

Since Monday, no gas has flowed through the main pipeline, Nord Stream 1. Gas transport has been interrupted for annual maintenance work on the pipeline’s compressor stations. According to the operating company, this work should last until July 21. In Germany there is concern that the pipeline will not be put back into operation and that gas will be scarce in winter.

As early as June, the Gazprom group had significantly reduced deliveries through Nord Stream 1 in the Baltic Sea, citing a missing compressor turbine from Siemens Energy, which was being serviced in Canada. In the meantime, the Canadian government has decided that the turbine can be brought to Germany despite the sanctions against Russia. Gazprom has now asked Siemens Energy to initiate the return of the turbine, the company said. It is expected that Siemens Energy will fulfill its contract for the maintenance and repair of the gas turbines. The further functioning of Nord Stream 1 depends on this.

Giffey: Need “close solidarity from the federal and state governments”

The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, called for close cooperation between the federal and state governments in the gas crisis. If Russia does not open the controls again after the maintenance work on Nord Stream 1, a special prime ministerial conference must be convened together with the federal government, the SPD politician told the German Press Agency. “That would have a massive impact on everyone. And at this point, in my view, it is absolutely necessary for there to be a very, very close alliance between the federal and state governments,” said Giffey.

Habeck told the RND that his impression was that the seriousness of the situation had arrived from the economy to cities, states and the federal government to consumers. In his appeal for austerity, he explained that it would not be possible to heat entire office towers to more than 20 degrees if only three people were sitting inside. “It would be fatal to heat offices until 11 p.m. and at the same time destroy entire branches of industry.”

The previous practice for heating public buildings must also be changed, demanded Habeck. “In many public buildings, full room temperature is provided from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.. A little less would also be tolerable in off-peak hours.”

The Greens politician confirmed the intention to realize a cost reduction for the citizens next year. “Even high earners swallow when they suddenly have to pay 4,500 euros a year for heating instead of 1,500. For people with medium or low incomes, these sums are simply not feasible. The federal government must organize relief here, and that too in 2023. I am sure that that the Ministry of Finance will make provisions for this,” said Habeck.

Green party leader Ricarda Lang spoke out in favor of a “moratorium on evictions for tenants” in view of the high prices. “It’s not okay for people to lose their homes because of the rise in energy prices,” Lang told the news portal t-online.

source site-34