The Portuguese government will limit lighting fixtures at Christmas, put controls on air conditioning and propose changes to remote work arrangements to save energy.
According to the Energy Savings Plan 2022-2023, published on Tuesday (September 27) by a decision of the Council of Ministers, the government Several measures will be implemented to save energy over the next few months. These actions will be mandatory for the central administration.
The indoor lighting of the buildings will be switched off from 10 pm in the winter period and from 11 pm in the summer period and outside from midnight. Moreover, he proved that ” The lighting of Christmas decorations will be limited to the time period from 6 pm to midnight between December 6, 2022 and January 6, 2023.“.
Interior lighting should also be turned off when the space is not in use and after hours, promoting the use of natural light and other measures.
Among other initiatives, the plan calls for limiting air conditioner temperatures.A maximum of 18°C in winter and a minimum of 25°C in summer“.
With regard to water, the executive branch will change the way it is managed, as well as “Reduce the amount of water used to wash floors“, discount”How often to wash the caramong other strategies.
The government also indicatedAdopt human resource management practices that reduce energy consumption (particularly by evaluating energy savings achieved through telecommuting), whenever possible“.
Among the recommendations for local governments:Reducing the water temperature in indoor swimming pools to 26°C and reducing the temperature of 2°C in the ambient temperature of the swimming pools (to 28°C)“.
There are also many similar measures for individuals, but the state also recommends reducing the running time of the water in bathrooms and showers, adapting the water temperature in the heating system to the season and reducing the number of uses of washing machines and dishwashers, using their maximum capacity, among other things.
“Altogether, the measures included in the Energy Saving Plan 2022-2023 resulted in the saving of 188 million cubic meters [millions de mètres cubes] of natural gas representing 5% of consumption compared to the annual average for this periodThe CEO said.
