Gas bills to double for millions of German households

On Aug 2, 2022

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The city is also banning portable air conditioners, heaters and radiators, while only cold water will be available for hand washing in public buildings.

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“It’s no fun. But I hope the city community will go along with it,” said Onay.

Lower Saxony’s businesses seem to be following suit. In an IHK survey, two-thirds of 500 companies questioned said they foresaw putting in place potential savings of up to 10 percent on gas and electricity.

Other cities have been reacting to the energy crisis, too.

In Leipzig, city bosses have decided on a phased plan with the aim of saving around 15 percent energy. They will reduce room temperatures in public buildings and have already started turning down lights on monuments at night.

View of the unlit Monument to the Battle of the Nations. Against the background of the looming energy crisis, Leipzig has switched off the lighting of around 240 public buildings and landmarks. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Willnow

In Munich there will be no hot water in district offices, room temperatures in public offices will be reduced to a maximum of 19C, while areas not in use will not be heated at all.

During the holidays, hot water will be turned off in all schools, and the lighting of municipal buildings such as the town hall on Marienplatz will be switched off.

Meanwhile, Nuremberg has temporarily closed three of its four indoor swimming pools during the summer months to save energy.

According to the city’s calculations, Nuremberg’s indoor and outdoor swimming pools need 9.4 million kilowatt hours of district heating and about 800,000 kilowatt hours of gas per year. By closing the pools for 72 days, NürnbergBad frees up heating energy for 383 households or about 1,500 people in the city, as well as electricity for 789 households or 3,100 people.

In Stuttgart, the water in outdoor pools has been heated only by solar energy since July 1st. A spokesman for the city said this means there is no longer a guaranteed water temperature.

Tübingen is focusing on the massive expansion of renewable energy and the use of heat pumps. According to a spokesperson, lighting and heating are to be reduced to the minimum, too.

Earlier in July, the Bavarian city of Augsburg turned off its fountains, dimmed the facades of public buildings at night and is considering switching off some under-used traffic lights.