19 degrees in public offices are mandatory this fall. But what else can you do to save energy? The government departments have each thought about it – with some astonishing results.
Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – In addition to the legal requirements, the ministries and the state chancellery in North Rhine-Westphalia also rely on creative and sometimes strange energy-saving measures. This was the result of a survey by the German Press Agency in the departments.
According to a spokesman for the Department of Justice, private fans, heaters, humidifiers, refrigerators and microwave ovens are banned. Private coffee machines and kettles may continue to be used. The employees were also instructed to “switch off the light every time they leave the duty room”. Finally, if possible, the staff should not use the elevators, but take the stairs.
According to a spokesman, half of the refrigerators in the tea kitchens of the Ministry of Economic Affairs were switched off. At the weekend, the heating in the former Mannesmann house will be turned off. The Ministry of Health said that, among other things, the screen savers on the computers and the displays on the phones will switch off if nothing happens for a long time.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the electric hand dryers in the toilet rooms have been “taken out of use”. Home office is allowed every working day. According to a spokesman, the operator of the public underground car park in the Ministry of the Environment has taken every second lamp out of operation at the suggestion of the authority. The Ministry of Education wants to sort out various printers.
According to a spokeswoman, private electronic devices are banned in the refugee ministry. The Ministry of Science announced that radiators are being equipped with “intelligent digital thermostats”. According to its own statements, the Ministry of Agriculture – like almost all departments – has turned off the warm water in the washrooms.
The state chancellery of Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is currently being extensively renovated, which, according to a spokesman, is used for many energy-saving measures: the hot water supply will be renewed, a solar system will be installed on the roof and the heating will be modernized. This is also planned in the Home Office.
The least one learns about the energy-saving measures in the Interior Ministry: since it is a security agency, “a lot of information is subject to secrecy,” it said there.
