Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register BERLIN, Aug 2 (Reuters) – The German state of Bavaria agreed on ways to cut energy use by 15 percent between August and the end of March, including turning off thermostats in public buildings, as Europe’s biggest economy prepares for possible further cuts in Russian . gas supplies. The measures are in line with the European Commission’s proposal for a 15% cut across the European Union, which could become legally binding if, as it fears, Russia cuts off natural gas. Germany, which, before Moscow’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, relied on Russia for more than half of its natural gas, is particularly vulnerable to disruptions and has already seen supply cuts. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Under a five-point plan approved by the Bavarian cabinet on Tuesday, public offices should be heated to a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and water in bathrooms will not be heated in winter. The government will turn off the lights in the corridors of public buildings and outside them, or adjust them to work at certain times. Business trips should be avoided or taken by public transport and employees will be allowed to work from home if possible. Civil servants and building technicians will be trained on how to reduce energy use. The goal of the measures in the southeastern region is to help fill the country’s natural gas storage facilities to protect against shortages during peak winter demand, the state chancellery said in a statement. “Unfortunately, energy is running out. The state government will therefore save even more,” Bavarian Premier Markus Söder tweeted on Tuesday. Soeder said the country still needed ideas at the national level to find alternatives to Russian fossil fuels, adding that the ruling coalition in Berlin was taking too long. Last month, Germany’s government unveiled energy-saving measures after the country moved into the second of three stages of its emergency supply plan in June. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Riham Alkousaa. edited by Barbara Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
