"Habeck doesn't have to tell me how we save energy": Mayor criticizes energy saving regulation

Created: 09/03/2022, 19:31

By: Max Wochinger

The Federal Government's Energy Saving Ordinance is in force.

Buildings, for example, may no longer be illuminated.

What do the mayors think? 

District – A regulation to save energy for municipalities too?

Ottobrunn's Mayor Thomas Loderer (CSU) considers this actionism on the part of the federal government.

"Mr. Habeck doesn't have to tell me how we have to save energy sensibly," he says.

The municipality knows that itself. Nevertheless, the Federal Cabinet's Energy Saving Ordinance provides for tough measures for many people's everyday lives - and they start on Thursday, September 1st.

Saving gas and electricity by regulation: extensive rules

With the ordinance, the federal government wants to save gas and electricity in the short term.

Overall, around 20 percent of savings compared to the time before the crisis should be enough for Germany to get through the winter without gas rationing.

For this reason, the operation of illuminated advertising systems, for example, is prohibited.

In heated retail business premises, the "permanently keeping open" of shop doors is also prohibited.

Traders are angry about the decision.

The last energy saver turns off the light: The castle in Grünwald has not been illuminated for a long time.

(Archive image) © Robert Brouczek

But not only shopkeepers are affected by the rules, but also municipalities and private individuals: In public workplaces, a maximum room temperature of 19 degrees has been allowed since today.

Hot water should also be switched off – if it is only used for washing hands.

And well-off citizens are only allowed to swim in cold swimming pools: they can no longer be heated with gas or electricity.

According to the federal government, the rules should apply until next February.

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Mayor's misunderstanding: "What are we actually talking about here?"

Mayor Loderer is "not amused" about this - and that's putting it kindly.

When it comes to turned off hot water taps in town halls, he is irritated.

“What are we actually talking about here?” Nevertheless, one “of course” adheres to the law and wants to “think about it”.

Loderer and his administration would like to take a closer look at the ordinance - so far the head of the town hall has not known anything.

Therefore, he has no knowledge of another measure from the regulation: "The lighting of buildings and monuments from the outside with the exception of safety and emergency lighting is prohibited."

Energy Ordinance: Churches exempt from regulation

The fact that local politicians and shopkeepers were not aware of the federal government's package of measures is due to the state government in Munich.

At least that is the opinion of the Federal Ministry of Economics in Berlin.

A spokeswoman for the ministry said that the implementation of the ordinance was up to the federal states, which would inform the municipalities.

"The regulation has been known for a long time, there have also been hearings about it."

In any case, the Ottobrunn town hall knew nothing about the ordinance.

Now the Otto column and the lettering of the Wolf-Ferrari-Haus could be affected by the lighting stop, in Grünwald the castle.

Their lighting was switched off two weeks ago, says Second Mayor Stephan Weidenbach (CSU).

The lettering of the fire brigade is also no longer illuminated.

Churches in Germany are exempt from the regulation.

Aying on the outside?

Only now found out about the regulation

There will be no problems with cold rooms in the Grünwald town hall, says Weidenbach: The municipality uses geothermal energy - which is why the regulation does not apply.

In Aying, they only found out about the federal government's regulation yesterday.

"At the moment we cannot estimate what measures we as the municipality of Aying have to take," writes an employee.

This is also hardly possible within one day.

You can find more current news from the district of Munich at Merkur.de/Landkreis München.