In Madrid, tourists and traders adapt to new energy saving measures
The large Corte Ingles shopping center in Madrid must now turn off its windows at 10 p.m.
AP - Paul White
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Since the approval on Tuesday of the decree law on energy saving in Spain, public and private buildings must comply with new measures, some of which have just come into force.
In Madrid, we are preparing to live with this new climatic reality.
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At 10 p.m. sharp, the lights in the windows of the large Corte Ingles shopping center in Madrid's Puerta del Sol suddenly went out, as did those of the city's town hall or the famous Cibeles fountain.
Tourists were amazed.
“
Madrid cannot be in the dark at 10 p.m.!
Madrid without light, it's very sad
, ”regrets a man at the microphone of our correspondent in Madrid,
Diane Cambon
.
This extinction of the lights of the windows or building facades is part of the new measures decided by the Spanish leftist government as part of a European plan aimed at reducing imports of Russian gas.
The new law also provides for strict temperature control in interiors.
No more than 27°C for air conditioning in shops, restaurants and public and private buildings.
In winter, the heating should not exceed 19°C.
Air-conditioned or heated premises will also be required to install by September 30 a mechanism ensuring the automatic closing of their doors in order to avoid energy waste.
A criticized measure
In a bar in the historic center of the capital, the boss takes care of the last details to comply with the new law.
“
We are completely ready.
A curtain to cut off the air from the outside, two air conditioners that blow air vertically and there, the terrace, where nothing can be done
,” he lists.
But other traders are more critical.
A Gran Via restaurateur finds the measure "
exaggerated
".
"
If I had all my employees inside the room, putting the air conditioning at 27
°C
, it's as if I had no air conditioning
," he argues.
Miriam, who works in a bakery, also complains that it's still the small businesses that have to put in the most effort.
"
It's always the people who have to bend over backwards, while it's big companies, institutions and even the government who have to save energy
," she denounces.
The measures are in effect until November 2023. The decree does not specify the penalties to which an offender would be exposed.
In addition, the task of ensuring compliance with these measures falls to the various regional communities, some of which, those led by the People's Party, have received them in a very critical manner.
EU countries pledged at the end of July to do “
everything possible
” to
reduce their gas consumption by at least 15%
between August 2022 and March 2023, compared to the average of the last five years over the same period. .
Emphasizing their lower level of energy connection with the rest of the continent, Spain and Portugal have obtained from Brussels that their objective is a reduction of only 7%.
(
And with
AFP)
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