by Christina Thykjaer and Belén Carreño
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish civil servants will have to endure higher temperatures at their workplaces this summer as the government plans to implement energy-saving measures to reduce its electricity bills and help reduce dependency from Europe to Russian oil and gas.
A plan to this effect was approved on Tuesday: it aims to control the temperature in public service offices, the massive installation of solar panels on the roofs of public buildings and the development of teleworking.
In summer, office air conditioning should be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit), while in winter, heating should be set no higher than 19°C, according to a preview. project seen by Reuters.
The plan, part of a European effort to reduce dependence on Russian gas and oil, will also encourage civil servants to use public transport or bicycles to get to work.
“Even though Spain is one of the countries in the European Union least exposed to Russian energy, it is clear that we are not immune to rising energy prices,” he said. Treasury Minister Maria Jesus Montero told reporters.
Italy also announced in April that it planned to limit air conditioning to save energy this summer.
(Report Christina Thykjaer and Belen Carreño; French version Federica Mileo)
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