Portugal presented an energy sobriety plan on Thursday, which notably plans to reduce lighting and lower temperatures in public spaces, as part of the effort demanded by Brussels.
Portugal will limit lighting and low temperatures in public places. This was announced by the government on Thursday as part of its energy monitoring plan. These measures come in the wake of the efforts requested by Brussels to put an end to European dependence on Russian gas.
Portuguese Environment Minister Duarte Cordero said during a press conference held by the Council of Ministers that this plan “seeks to reduce unnecessary energy consumption” without “harming the operation and activity of companies.”
The minister explained that the government introduced measures such as “reducing temperatures” or even canceling lighting “when facilities are closed,” as well as decorative lighting “after midnight.” These measures will be mandatory for public administrations but will remain recommendations for the private sector.
Reduction in gas consumption in the European Union
This moderation plan is part of a commitment by the European Union (EU) to reduce its energy consumption to deal with the risk of shortages related to the war in Ukraine. EU countries want to reduce their gas consumption by at least 15% between August 2022 and March 2023 compared to the average of the past five years over the same period.
Confirming their lower level of energy connectivity with the rest of the continent, Spain and Portugal got from Brussels that their target is set at just a 7% drop.
The Portuguese government unveiled a package of measures on Monday to help households cope with inflation, amounting to 2.4 billion euros, which will include a cut in energy taxes.
