International reporting
Germany: it's time to save energy
Audio 02:23
The headquarters of Germany's largest housing group Vonovia in Bochum, western Germany, in May 2021. © Ina Fassbender / AFP
By: Pascal Thibaut Follow
2 mins
The Germans are afraid of the coming winter.
Half of the homes are heated by gas.
Will this be possible if Russian deliveries stop?
Already mobile electric heaters are selling like hotcakes.
Can the heating bill be paid?
A Cologne company, for example, announces a doubling of prices for October 1st.
It's time to save energy.
The real estate company Vonovia, which owns 500,000 homes in Germany, recently announced that, this winter, the heating would be reduced at night.
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“
If we reduce temperatures to 17 degrees, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., we can save up to 8% of energy.
Between 6am and until 11pm the apartments are heated as before.
Vonovia's spokesperson, Tristan Hinseler, justifies the real estate company's measure, and specifies that hot water is not affected by this decision.
Energy savings should also prevent tenants from paying too high charges on arrival.
Vonovia's CEO said last week that the company would work to find solutions for struggling tenants.
He also asked the government to establish a moratorium to avoid contract terminations.
And how are Vonovia tenants affected by the reduction in heating at night next winter reacting?
Dietmar Maruska has no problem with this decision: “
I understand this measure.
I don't need to have an overheated apartment, especially at night.
I don't understand why this is debated.
".
Johanna Reidt, older, is less enthusiastic: “
I want to have pleasant temperatures in my apartment and it is normally over 22 degrees.
And if we reduce the heating to 17 degrees at night, it's too cold
”
► To read also: Germany: faced with the energy crisis, Berlin turns off the light of the monuments
Vonovia's measure does not provoke any outcry from tenant defense organisations, as Reiner Wild of the Mieterverein association in Berlin confirms: “
Vonovia's announcement is acceptable to us.
There is already room for maneuver for owners today.
Already today it often happens that the heating is reduced to 18 degrees at night.
One degree less is not a major problem.
On the other hand, announcements by landlords to significantly lower the temperature in apartments during the day are not legal
”
Whatever
happens, the amount of tenants' charges will increase significantly, above all for heating
.
Some landlords now offer to increase the monthly payments to avoid a bad surprise on arrival.
Tenant associations also suggest putting money aside.
The government advises individuals to save money on heating, water or electricity consumption.
Support measures for the most modest are to be expected.
► To read also: Gas savings: relief in Germany after the agreement in Brussels
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