As Europe reels under a heat wave, the Spanish government has decided to forbid establishments with air conditioning from setting it below 27°C throughout the summer. The decision is a part of strategies that have been employed to decrease the nation’s reliance on Russian gas and reduce its energy usage. Additionally, the rule will prohibit wintertime heating from being set above 19°C. The government of Spain made this decision public on Tuesday 2nd August 2022.
According to a report by Euronews, all public and commercial establishments, including pubs, theatres, movie theatres, airports, and railway stations in Spain will have to abide by these restrictions. Besides, commercial establishments, Spanish households are also advised to adopt it as a guideline. The measure was enacted by the government as part of an effort to cut the country’s gas usage by 7% in accordance with recent European Union energy accords to minimize reliance on Russian gas. In case anyone violates this rule, the government has decided on a fine of up to 600,000 euros for such defaulters.
Teresa Ribera, Spain’s minister of ecological transition, stated that the restrictions, which include turning off store window lights after 10 pm but not street illumination, will be first enforced until November 2023. She urged Spaniards to embrace the cutbacks, claiming that it would not only reduce consumption but also lower home electricity bills.
This order by the Spanish government in the middle of the ongoing energy crisis in Europe has caused a heated debate and reactions from the Spanish people. Laura Berge, a Valencia public official, questioned the measure’s feasibility. She said, “Generally speaking, you can work at 27 degrees, but to reach that temperature in hot areas, you need to put the air conditioner at 22 or 23 degrees for a couple of hours, so I am worried that it will not be allowed to exceed 27 degrees. at any time.”
She added, “In that case, the air would have to be turned on well in advance and it would be counterproductive in terms of energy savings.” This criticism has come in the wake of the heat wave that has struck the European country. Andrea Castillo, a worker at Castellón university in Spain, said, “Right now, perhaps suggested by the heat wave we are experiencing, I would say that with 27 degrees we will be very hot. Perhaps we could work at 25 degrees, but not at 27.”
It is notable that Spain is not the only European country to enforce such restrictions on people in this energy crisis. France, Lithuania, and Germany have also imposed various restrictions on the public given that the crisis is only worsening after Russia waged a war against Ukraine and the European Union decided to reduce its reliance on Russian gas imports.