Energy costs: Bundestag wants less heating and less cooling

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Climate change in the plenary hall: the Bundestag wants to save energy

Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa

The rising energy costs in Germany worry the Bundestag.

In future, therefore, he wants to heat his rooms less in winter and cool them less in summer.

The Council of Elders has decided that the offices for MPs, their employees and the Bundestag administration will only be heated to 20 degrees in winter instead of the previous 22 degrees.

While the air conditioning systems used to provide a pleasant 24 to 26 degrees in summer, depending on the outside temperature, it will be 26 to 28 degrees in the future.

The "Tagesspiegel" had previously reported on the energy-saving concept.

In the future, things will get hotter – and not just because of controversial issues – in the plenary hall and in the parliamentary group and committee meeting rooms.

They are no longer cooled down to 22 to 24 degrees in the summer, but to just 24 to 26. In winter, like the offices, they are only to be heated to 20 and no longer to 22 degrees.

Only cold water

In future, only cold water will be available in buildings with decentralized water heating.

According to the decision, instantaneous water heaters in the offices will be switched off.

In buildings with central hot water preparation, however, this should remain in operation for reasons of system hygiene.

You should also save on lighting.

According to information from the German Press Agency (dpa), only the AfD in the Council of Elders did not agree to the changes.

The resolution points out that the Bundestag is making a significant contribution to saving energy in view of the current situation.

The energy supply for many buildings is already organized extremely efficiently.

Heat is obtained from highly effective combined heat and power generation, and cold water is used for up to 50 percent of the cooling required in summer, which is stored in underground storage tanks in winter.

atb/dpa