According to the climate minister, Dan Jørgensen, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken Denmark and the rest of Europe to the brink of a “historic energy crisis”.
The worst-case scenario involves Denmark having an energy shortage this winter, so the government has announced a number of initiatives aimed at conserving energy.
“We face a new and serious reality following Russia’s decision to shut off the gas to Europe. Additionally, we see a general increase in energy prices,” said Jørgensen.
“Our supply line situation is more uncertain and we are now launching several specific initiatives in order to conserve energy in the public sector. The municipalities and regions are already pursuing several energy-conserving efforts, but now we’re taking it a step further.”
READ ALSO: Municipalities taking action to lower energy consumption
Situation manageable … for now
Two of the steps taken will be to lower the temperature in public office buildings from between 21 and 23 to 19 degrees and switching off outdoor lighting at the buildings.
Another is shortening the so-called ‘fyringssæson’ – the ‘heating season’ guideline that indicates when to begin heating buildings when it gets colder.
Finally, the government wants to distribute material to the public offering tips on how to save energy at the workplace.
Kristoffer Böttzauw, the head of the Energistyrelsen energy authority, said that homes and hospitals will be prioritised if Denmark finds itself in a situation where there is a shortage of energy.
At the moment, that doesn’t look necessary as the nation’s stockpiles are close to being full, but a very cold winter could change that, said Böttzauw.
The public can also take steps to lower energy consumption at home. Read more about that here.
