Schools and other public buildings in Italy will be banned from adjusting their air conditioning to below 25°C starting next month, under a plan aimed at helping the country avoid a war-exacerbated energy crisis in Ukraine.
The energy rationing initiative, called the “operating thermostat”, comes when the Italian government seeks alternative partners to replace natural gas imported from Russia where about 45% of this energy source came from. For this task, two Italian ministers traveled to Central Africa on Wednesday in search of new suppliers.
The debate about energy wasted through air conditioning came after Prime Minister Mario Draghi ironically used air conditioning as an example of something Italians might have to sacrifice in exchange for peace in Ukraine.
“Do we want peace or do we want to have the air conditioning on?” said earlier this month, after promising that Italy would comply if the EU decided to impose an embargo on Russian gas.
The rules will begin on May 1 and will be in force until March 31 next year, and heating in public buildings during winter may not exceed 19°C. It is not yet clear how the measure will be monitored, but inspectors from the Ministry of Labour could carry out checks, and those who violate the limits will be fined between 500 and 3,000 euros ($546 to 3,256 dollars), Il Messaggero reported. The measure does not apply to hospitals but may eventually be extended to private homes.
Renato Brunetta, Minister of Public Administration, said that the initiative, presented by the Five Star Movement, was a “positive” sign and would save between 2 and 4 billion cubic meters of gas per year. About 57% of the energy costs of a public office building come from temperature control.
“It is true that the public administration is setting a good example, reducing waste and raising awareness among citizens about the rationalization of consumption. It is a simple way to contribute and reduce dependence on gas,” said Angela Masi, politician of the Five Star Movement.
After traveling to Algeria last week to reach a gas agreement, Draghi was forced to cancel trips to Angola and the Republic of Congo after testing positive for Covid-19. Instead, he will send his Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, and Roberto Cingolani, the Minister of Ecological Transition.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Sunday, Draghi said: “We don't want to rely on Russian gas anymore, because economic dependence should not become political subjection. Diversification is possible and can be implemented in a relatively short period of time, faster than we imagined just a month ago.”
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