Lights off in the corporate high-rise: Bahn decrees an electricity savings plan

Deutsche Bahn wants to set a good example when it comes to saving electricity – and has set itself ambitious savings targets. The employees should also be involved. At the end of the year, the group wants to take stock. What works well should be retained.

Deutsche Bahn, one of the largest electricity buyers in the country, wants to save energy worth several million euros in view of the high prices. The group announced that all around 200,000 employees will receive a so-called energy bonus of 100 euros with the December wage payment as an incentive to save energy. “Whether it’s lighting, heating, refueling or stairs instead of an elevator – even small savings add up to a significant amount,” said DB HR Director Martin Seiler.

The program costs Deutsche Bahn around 20 million euros – the group hopes to save at least this amount through the savings proposals and measures. If an idea for savings is “well received” and makes a “noticeable” difference, the respective employee gets 50 euros more. The board wants to evaluate the savings proposals in December.

From Tuesday evening, the LED lights in the Bahntower on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin will no longer shine, as the group announced. Only the logo and position lights for air traffic control remained on. Something similar is also being examined for other railway buildings, said Seiler. The HR director emphasized that “safety and occupational safety will not be shaken”.

In addition, Deutsche Bahn customers do not have to worry about being “in dimly lit stations”. Seiler said he was “very, very sure” that the group would experience a “real boost” in energy saving. “If 200,000 take part, we expect a significant contribution.”

With an annual electricity requirement of currently around ten terawatt hours, the railway is one of the largest energy consumers in Germany. More than 62 percent already comes from renewable energies. The group has been promoting energy-saving measures for years, for example with energy-saving driving or energy-saving measures at train stations and office buildings.