The European Commission is expected next week to ask EU countries to reduce heating and cooling of public buildings and offices to cut gas demand, according to a document seen by AFP.
To better cope with the drastic drop in Russian gas supplies, which could be completely disrupted, the commission is expected to ask the governments of the 27-nation bloc to limit the energy consumption of public buildings, offices, commercial properties and outdoor terraces.
For optimal energy use, it is recommended that public buildings be heated to no more than 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) and cooled by air conditioning units set at no less than 25°C (77°F).
“Energy saved in summer is energy that can be used in winter,” the Commission emphasizes in the document.
Energy experts say that lowering the thermostat by one degree could reduce a building’s heating bills by about 10 percent. Air conditioners generally struggle and fail to cool a room below 20°C so they waste energy trying.
The recommendation is part of a series of measures Brussels is studying to reduce the EU’s gas consumption by 25 to 60 billion cubic meters (880 to 2,120 billion cubic feet) a year.
According to the International Energy Agency, the EU imported around 140 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia by pipeline last year.
“Acting now could reduce the impact of a sudden supply disruption by a third,” says the document, which is due to be released on July 20 and is subject to change in the meantime.
It calculates that 11 billion cubic meters of gas could be saved directly from reducing excessive heating and cooling, and between four and 40 billion cubic meters from reduced electricity needs. Another 10-11 billion cubic meters could be spared from being used by industries that have already slowed production due to rising prices.
The document calls on EU governments, where “technically feasible and enforceable”, to introduce mandatory limits for heating and cooling in “public buildings, offices, commercial buildings (especially large buildings) … and open spaces such as outdoor terraces”.
“The role of public authorities in leading by example and as a major gas consumer – 30 percent of energy consumption – is crucial in this regard,” the document says.
The commission says that during the ‘gas winter’ – October to March – ‘major savings can be made by using alternative heat sources for district heating and heat pumps in homes’ and energy saving campaigns are urging the public to turn their thermostats down one degree Celsius this winter .
But such “sheltered” energy customers – under EU law that means households, district heating that cannot be switched to other fuels, and certain essential social services – account for just 37 per cent of total EU gas consumption. And simulations show these customers would be the last to be seriously affected by large-scale Russian gas disruptions, the commission says.
It therefore focuses primarily on power plants and industry, which consume huge amounts of gas.
“Sharp cuts could hurt certain parts of these industries, which have little scope to switch to other fuels – because gas is used as a feedstock for industrial processes – or to reduce production without major damage,” the commission warns.
“It would be significantly more cost-effective to moderately reduce natural gas demand over an extended period of time and start earlier than to suddenly and drastically reduce demand without proper preparation,” she explains.
As encouragement, Brussels is urging EU governments to set up “auction systems” potentially involving several countries to compensate industrial consumers who agree to reduce their gas consumption.
If Russia’s gas supply shuts down completely from July, EU countries might only be able to replenish 65 to 71 percent of their gas reserves before winter, the commission said, citing forecasts from European gas transmission system operators (ENTSOG).
The Commission’s energy saving proposals are to be discussed by EU energy ministers at a meeting on July 26 in Brussels.
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