# Lights off, heat down: central Europe governments save power to set example
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-09-22
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Central European Governments Implement Energy-Saving
Meta Description: Central European governments are taking steps to save energy and reduce costs amid gas supply cuts from Russia, with measures like installing LED lights and
URL: https://financedigest.com/lights-off-heat-down-central-europe-governments-save-power-to-set-examplehtml

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By Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE (Reuters) – Turning off lights, lowering thermostats and installing motion detectors are among the ways central European governments have begun energy saving, as part of efforts to trim costs and avoid shortages in the incoming heating season to address cuts in gas supplies from Russia.

Central Europe is vulnerable to the standoff with Russia, with some countries still dependent on Russian gas and all facing surging electricity prices across the continent.

The Czech government announced on Thursday it was unscrewing [half](https://www.financedigest.com/european-governments-spend-half-a-trillion-euros-on-energy-crisis-report.html "European governments spend half a trillion euros on energy crisis – report") of lightbulbs at the government office and swapping remaining old bulbs for less-consuming LED sources. It was installing movement sensors to [cut down lighting](https://www.financedigest.com/lighting-maker-signify-cuts-2022-outlook-again-on-china-business-lighting.html "Lighting maker Signify cuts 2022 outlook again on China, business lighting") in corridors and turning off festive floodlights of the 19th century downtown Prague building.

Heating – normally around 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 F) or even warmer in Czech offices – was being lowered to 19-20 C [inside the government](https://www.financedigest.com/watchdog-warned-uk-government-of-spyware-infections-inside-10-downing-street.html "Watchdog warned UK government of spyware infections inside 10 Downing Street") building, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said, and to 15 C (59 F) in corridors.

I will pressure mainly state [institutions to lead](https://www.financedigest.com/why-leading-financial-institutions-are-relying-on-video-to-meet-compliance-needs.html "Why leading financial institutions are relying on video to meet compliance needs") by example,” Fiala told reporters. We have adopted a package of measures…to [save between 17% and 20% of necessary energy,”](https://www.financedigest.com/schneider-and-greenyellow-target-smaller-businesses-with-energy-saving-technology.html "Schneider and GreenYellow target smaller businesses with energy saving technology") he said.

The presidential office said it would [lower heating and turn](https://www.financedigest.com/ahold-turns-to-solar-panels-lowers-thermostats-to-save-energy.html "Ahold turns to solar panels, lowers thermostats to save energy") off floodlights at the iconic Prague Castle and its cathedral at 10 pm instead of midnight, while the Industry Ministry cut down the number of refrigerators in use, among other measures.

In Hungary, the [government has ordered state institutions and companies to reduce gas consumption by 25% compared to the previous year](https://www.financedigest.com/2016-must-be-the-year-of-board-level-transparency-and-good-governance.html "2016 must be the year of board level transparency and good governance"), except for hospitals and social institutions.

Lights also will go off at Romania’s parliament palace, the second-largest [building in the world](https://www.financedigest.com/building-the-worlds-most-inclusive-banking-service.html "Building the World’s Most Inclusive Banking Service") after the U.S. Pentagon, the parliament said earlier this month. Outdoor lights will be reduce by [half and festive lighting will be cut](https://www.financedigest.com/elon-musk-plans-to-cut-half-of-twitter-jobs-bloomberg-news.html "Elon Musk plans to cut half of Twitter jobs – Bloomberg News") to two hours per night.

The Polish government instructed its various branches to reduce electricity consumption by 10%.

After work, [officials must](https://www.financedigest.com/quebecs-elected-officials-must-swear-oath-to-king-charles-to-sit-in-national-assembly.html "Quebec’s elected officials must swear oath to King Charles to sit in National Assembly") turn off their computers and disconnect chargers, and they can only print necessary documents. At the Finance Ministry, the fountain was [turned off and illumination of the building](https://www.financedigest.com/ireland-to-turn-heat-down-in-public-buildings-shut-empty-office-floors.html "Ireland to turn heat down in public buildings, shut empty office floors") was limited to just two hours on weekends.

Warsaw is [also replacing around](https://www.financedigest.com/old-trafford-attracting-not-just-footballers-from-around-the-world-but-also-investors.html "Old Trafford attracting not just footballers from around the world, but also investors") 38,000 bulbs in street lamps with LEDs.

Those [savings and various national cost caps and other support measures may still not be enough](https://www.financedigest.com/80-of-workers-not-saving-enough-for-retirement.html "80% of workers not saving enough for retirement") in places where heating or cooling is a large part of operations, such as universities or sports grounds.

Slovak universities have warned they will go to [online schooling if the government does not provide](https://www.financedigest.com/nets-acquires-polish-online-payment-service-providers-dotpay-ecard-from-mci-capital.html "Nets acquires Polish online payment service providers Dotpay/eCard from MCI Capital") more funding by mid-November.

In the Czech Republic, a survey of more than 500 sports clubs showed 61% of those using indoor venues such as pools, ice rinks, gyms or inflatable halls were [facing an “existential threat” as their energy costs](https://www.financedigest.com/estonias-pro-kyiv-government-faces-election-test-amid-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Estonia’s pro-Kyiv government faces election test amid cost of living crisis") have already risen by 135%.

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, Luiza Iliu in Bucharest, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Anna Koper and Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw, Krizstina Than in Budapest; Editing by Bill Berkrot)


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