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ARCHIVED - Spectacular u-turn as air-conditioning restrictions in Spain make global headlines
The Spanish government will review its energy-saving policy after British tourists were warned they “were going to roast” on holiday this year
The Spanish Government’s Royal Decree on energy-saving measures, which set limits on how cool air-conditioning units could be operated at in public places like bars, restaurants and shops on August 1, has gained international notoriety, with several UK publications warning holidaymakers that they were going to “roast” this year as a result.
The restrictions even had some air time in the US, prompting the Minister for Ecological Transition into a dramatic u-turn in recent days when she announced that certain premises could set their units to “around 25 degrees,” rather than the 27 degrees previously stipulated.
In order to comply with labour laws, Teresa Ribera clarified that the 27-degree limit on air-conditioning would be applied “with flexibility,” explaining that spaces such as nightclubs, kitchens and gyms have different temperature requirements to the likes of book stores.
"The decree law itself incorporates a call that wherever there are spaces where workers have to move and have physical exercise, it must be applied with the corresponding flexibility," the minister clarified.
The legislation was passed last week in Spain in response to an EU request that member states reduce their energy expenditure in anticipation of a Russian gas supply cut this winter; in addition to limiting air-conditioning and heating temperatures, Spain has requested that all public buildings and monuments switch off their lights after 10pm.
The measures have been met with much derision, with Francisco Salado, president of the Diputación de Málaga, quipping: "We want satisfied tourists, not roasted tourists or those who are afraid to walk through the dark streets."
In the face of such widespread controversy, the government is going back to the drawing board this Monday, August 8, and has convened an Energy Sector Conference with regional representatives in the areas of Energy, Industry and Commerce, to clarify the finer details of the plan.
How much the measures will be changed remains to be seen, since Ms Ribera has insisted that the objective of the meeting is "to align the energy saving and efficiency policies of all administrations and reaffirm the commitment to save 7% of the energy consumption acquired by Spain before the EU to face the socioeconomic consequences of the conflict in Ukraine".
Image: Freepik
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