Italy to dial down air conditioners in a bid to kick reliance on Russian gas

The government has introduced temperature limits in public buildings

The Italian Government has proposed an amendment to the energy decree with a view to set specific standards on the ambient temperatures permissible in public buildings and offices. The move is meant as a bid to reduce the consumption of energy and thus the reliance on Russian-supplied fossil fuels used to produce it.

This will possibly mean that people in those buildings will feel the summer heat much more astutely, but it will all be with a good cause.

Diversifying energy supplies

The regulation states that air conditioning systems in the public premises should be set to no lower than 25-27 degrees Celsius in the summer months. Likewise, in wintertime, the heating should not go above 19-21 degrees Celsius. The said temperature restrictions reportedly do have a time horizon and are meant to be in force from the start of May until the end of March next year.

Although local authorities specify in which months heating and cooling systems can be used, they do not currently set temperature limits for public buildings. They will now have to follow the guidelines set by the central government.

40% of Italian gas imports come from Russia, which represents a heavy chunk of the energy dependence profile of the Western European country. As a result of the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, the Italian authorities have been scrambling to find ways to diversify their energy supplies.

Ministers are set to sign gas deals in the Congo Republic and Angola this week as part of those efforts.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi has suggested dialling down air conditioning and heating systems as one of the ways in which Italy can help to reduce its energy consumption.