A German city is taking measures to reduce energy consumption after Russia cut down the amount of gas flowing to Europe this week.
The city of Hanover has shut off heating and hot water in all public buildings in order to conserve gas supplies after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline flow was reduced to just 20% capacity on Wednesday.
In response to Vladimir Putin’s withholding of vital energy supplies, the EU has put in place policies to adapt to the situation, agreeing to reduce gas consumption across the bloc by 15% this winter. Germany is particularly vulnerable as it relies heavily on imported Russian gas.
The mayor of Hanover has moved to reach the 15% target early by introducing new restrictions on energy use. In addition to shutting off hot water in public buildings as well as gyms, swimming pools and sports halls, portable air-conditioning units and heaters have also been banned.
Heating will not be an option in public buildings between April and September under the new restrictions, something that may become common across Europe as the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending soon.
Germany relied on Russia for about half of its gas before the beginning of the war, something its NATO allies like the United States had pointed to as a strategic weakness on their part.
The fallout following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has brought into focus the power Putin has over the economic fortunes of EU states.
If the situation continues, many European countries will face similarly difficult decisions when it comes to energy consumption even if they do not get gas directly from Russia as the price of the fuel continues to rise.
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