0 SHARES Share TweetPrague, Czech Republic , July 15 – The European Commission is expected next week to ask EU countries to reduce heating and cooling of public buildings and offices to cut demand for gas, according to a document seen by AFP. Energy experts say lowering the thermostat by one degree could cut a building’s heating bill by about 10 percent. The EU imported around 140 bcm of gas by pipeline from Russia last year, according to the International Energy Agency. The document urges EU governments, where this is “technically feasible and enforceable” to introduce binding limits on heating and cooling in “public buildings, offices, commercial buildings (in particular large buildings) … and open spaces like outdoor terraces”. Such “protected” energy customers — under EU legislation that means households, district heating that cannot switch to other fuels and certain essential social services — represent 37 percent of total EU gas consumption.

Source: Daily Nation July 16, 2022 02:08 UTC