Cologne/Essen (dpa/lnw) – Because of the energy crisis, numerous North Rhine-Westphalian cities are considering ways to save on Christmas decorations. At the Essen Christmas market, for example, power consumption is to be reduced by a good 20 percent, among other things by switching on the lighting of the stands much later than in previous years, said a spokesman for Essen Marketing GmbH. In Cologne, the large pedestrian zones should only be lit up festively between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
According to a spokesman, a reduction in the number of fairy lights is under discussion in Aachen. The cities of Bielefeld, Münster and Düsseldorf also want to talk to Christmas market operators and merchants about possible savings in the near future.
