How do you get to your workplace?

How far is the way there?

Kira Kramer

Editor on duty at FAZ.NET.

  • Follow I follow

At my own request, I am currently working as a freelance lecturer in my home office.

Otherwise it can happen that I travel up to 700 kilometers a week.

In view of the opening times of my son's kindergarten and the start of my working hours, this is simply impossible without a car.

Unfortunately, public transport is not an alternative here, also because the Deutsche Bahn is too unreliable for me: trains are canceled, are overcrowded, sometimes they don't even stop at every station because there is no more space.

The distances from the train station to the respective place of work are often too long.

If I teach in person, I can't just come an hour later, then I have to use the car.

How high would the fuel price have to rise before you leave your car?

At 1.80 euros per liter it was over for me.

The fuel prices were one of the reasons I asked my employer to allow me to work from home.

I think the gas prices are unreasonable.

They are a particular burden for people who work in shifts or in care.

So those who are dependent on the car.

Would you support a speed limit to save fossil fuels?

No, the regulations bother me at the speed limit.

It may be purely psychological, but it feels like yet another compulsion I'm being asked to submit to.

As a frequent driver, I don't have the impression that the majority of people race.

I observe a more moderate speed on the freeways - even on sections without speed limits.

There it usually levels off at 130 kilometers per hour during rush hour.

Very few race there.

If I want to save fossil fuels, then I don't achieve this by setting a speed limit, but rather by having people who can and want to work from home.

To do this, however, employers would have to stop mistrusting their employees.

The idea that working from home is less productive is wrong.

Of course, there are low performers in every office.

They will do that at home too.

But that's not the rule.

Do you have to do without everyday life to be able to pay your gas and electricity bills?

About vacations?

I won't feel the increase in the gas bill until next year.

The utility bill is already higher.

I'm going on vacation this year, it's been planned for a long time.

We go there by car, that's the best option.

We split the costs.

Are you already taking steps to save energy?

How do you prepare for winter?

I have replaced my kitchen appliances and this saves energy by making them more energy efficient.

I also don't own a tumble dryer.

When I use the washing machine, I make sure it is full.

I consider half-empty machines to be a waste of energy.

I don't have the radio on all the time either.

I turn off electronic devices when I no longer need them.

The oven and the washing machine consume the most energy for me.

Last winter, the heating also ran constantly at level two, no higher.

I didn't heat the kitchen and bathroom.

It is clear that the billing will be bad.

So I'd rather start saving now.

This may sound funny, but many times I've just made myself a hot water bottle instead of turning on the heater when it got too cold.

I can't switch from gas to firewood or heating oil.

I live in rented accommodation and the gas heating was recently replaced.