On an extremely hot summer day, the best way to beat the heat is sometimes to just stay inside and soak up the A/C. Well, unfortunately, citizens in the country of Spain are no longer allowed to keep their air conditioning units below 80°F.
The new totalitarian law has been issued due to the EU limiting the reliance on Russian gas which in return has caused a major energy shortage.
Spain has taken the contentious step of prohibiting the use of air conditioning in the summer months at temperatures lower than 27 degrees Celsius which is about 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
The new government ban also applies to a large number of public buildings such as hotels, grocery stores, and other places.
Spain, not the United States, but this is why I won’t put in a smart thermostat. I don’t want the power company or government controlling what I set my A/C to. https://t.co/vXyZXb1sqA
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 4, 2022
The new ban must be followed by everyone in the public, including bars, movies, theaters, airports, and railway stations.”
Euro News interviewed several upset workers, and here’s what they had to share:
“Right now, perhaps suggested by the heat wave we are experiencing, I would say that with 27 degrees we will be very hot,” Andrea Castillo, a worker at Castellón university, told Euronews. “Perhaps we could work at 25 degrees, but not at 27.”
Laura Berge, a civil servant in Valencia, questioned the practicality of the measure.
“Generally speaking, you can work at 27 degrees, but to reach that temperature in hot areas, you need to put the air conditioner at 22 or 23 degrees for a couple of hours, so I am worried that it will not be allowed to exceed 27 degrees. at any time,” she told Euronews.
“In that case, the air would have to be turned on well in advance and it would be counterproductive in terms of energy savings.”
Spain is not the only country that is having energy problems after relying on Russian energy for decades, but Germany is in trouble too.
In reaction to declining gas supplies from Russia, the biggest residential landlord in Germany, which owns over 490,000 units, is planning to implement energy rationing, which will result in reduced heating for renters during the night.
According to Reuters, Vonovia “will limit the heating output between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 63 degrees Fahrenheit,” and the firm expects that by taking these steps, it would be able to save up to 8 percent of the expenses associated with heating the building.
Residents have already been informed that they will face enormous increases in the cost of their heating bills as a result of Germany being forced to respond to Russia’s decision to restrict supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. This decision was made in response to Germany being forced to respond to Russia’s decision to cut off supplies.
As the energy crisis continues, the environment minister of Hamburg issued a warning earlier this week to the people of Germany that it is possible that hot water will be rationed and that there would be limitations placed on the maximum temperature that rooms may reach.
Spain bans setting the AC below 27 degrees Celsius https://t.co/1usCoRIgSA pic.twitter.com/ZEn2eh75Jo
— The Verge (@verge) August 3, 2022
It appears the EU is suffering more than what they initially thought when they decided to ban Russian energy.
This story syndicated with permission from For the Love of News