Spain bans air conditioning from dropping below 27C
Spain bans air conditioning from dropping below 27C – the Spanish government has sparked controversy after announcing that offices, shops, and other venues a
re banned from setting air conditioning below 27C in the summer. The decree also stops heating from being raised above 19C during the winter.
The move is part of the country’s plans to cut energy consumption and limit dependency on Russian gas.
“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 bans air conditioning from dropping below 27C to reduce gas consumption & limit dependency on Russian gas
The bill was passed in a bid to reduce Spain’s gas consumption by 7% in line with recent EU energy agreements to limit dependency on Russian gas.
“We see that it saves energy and is good for climate change, but our concern is that it affects families, especially the most vulnerable,” said Ana Isabel Gracia, secretary of social policies and housing at the Spanish trade union UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores).
“Instead of taking global measures, it should be specified by establishments so that they can have a different temperature. It is not the same to work, for example, in a place where there is a lot of machinery and the temperature is very high, and in another type of environment where there is none of that.
“There are studies that say that the optimal temperature is 24 degrees. Therefore, perhaps, instead of raising it to 27 degrees, we could stay at 25.”
Spain’s ecological transition minister, Teresa Ribera, said the measures would initially be maintained until November 2023.
She encouraged Spainairds to join the cuts, saying it would not only reduce consumption levels but also lower household energy bills.