Italians banned from overusing air con in a bid to save energy
Date
4/25/2022 10:06:30 PM
(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
Italians could be facing a long hot summer with plans to limit
air conditioning in schools and public offices to no lower than
25C, Trend reports
citing Euronews .
Though it is not yet law, the government's environment and
business committee has approved this amendment to Italy's Energy
Decree.
Minister of Public Administration, Renato Brunetta said the new
rules could save between two to four billion cubic metres of gas in
2022 - roughly the same amount as the average yearly gas
consumption of 2.7 million homes.
“Do we want to have peace or do we want to have the air
conditioning on?” Prime Minister Mario Draghi asked earlier this
month.
Draghi also suggested that turning down air conditioning and
heating systems could be one of the ways to reduce energy
consumption during the current crisis.
The rules are due to come into force on 1 May and last until 31
March 2023, according to reports from the Italian newspaper
Corriere della Sera.
Currently, local authorities can specify what months of the year
heating and cooling systems can be used - but not the temperature.
The new amendment would change that.
In addition to limiting air conditioning to 27C during summer,
heating in public buildings would not be set above 19C during the
winter. There is a two-degree buffer on either side meaning public
buildings wouldn't be cooled below 25C or heated above 21C.
'Operation thermostat' so far includes schools, post offices and
other government buildings in the country. Fines could range from
between €500 and €3,000 for those who don't comply but it isn't yet
clear how these temperature limits will be enforced.
Tags:
MENAFN25042022000187011040ID1104092126
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.