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Cold showers to turning off lights: How German cities are saving energy

A nationwide effort to save gas and electricity is underway as Germany faces a looming crisis. From cold showers to turning off lights, here's how cities and districts are reacting ahead of winter.

Published: 2 August 2022 10:37 CEST

Swimmers at a pool in Hanover earlier this year. The city says that hot water will no longer be available for showers in places like public swimming pools. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Moritz Frankenberg

Berlin’s monuments, like the TV tower, are usually lit up at night. But in an effort to save energy – and to set an example to people living in Germany – the city has decided to tone down the lights.

A lovely thing, this dimmed Television Tower: a small sacrifice, a nightly reminder of the stakes beyond our borders, a sense of solidarity & wir schaffen das #ditisberlin pic.twitter.com/MQCjEN7IBj

— Deborah Cole (@doberah) July 29, 2022

It’s all part of the national effort as Germany faces a possible shortage of gas this winter, plus rocketing energy bills that will hit households hard.

The German government confirmed last week that it is bringing in a gas surcharge on customers from October, which will result in household bills rising by hundreds of euros – or even over €1,000 – per year.

The levy aimed at propping up struggling gas supply companies which are having to replace gas that Russia has failed to deliver.

Last week, the city of Hanover in Lower Saxony announced it was implementing a huge energy-saving programme.

The city aims to save at least 15 percent of energy consumption, and has set up a crisis team to deal with a possible gas shortage.

“The situation is unpredictable,” said Mayor Belit Onay of the Greens.

As part of the measures, only cold showers will be available in public facilities like swimming pools, sports halls and gyms.

Furthermore, the city’s pools will no longer be heated with gas, and public fountains are being turned off.

Showers will be cold in public facilities in Hanover. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp von Ditfurth

And just like Berlin – as well as other cities in Germany – public buildings, museums and other sights will no longer be fully lit up at night.

“It’s about every kilowatt hour and protecting critical infrastructure,” said Onay. He pointed out that Kitas (daycare centres), schools, nursing homes and clinics are exempt from the energy saving restrictions.

There are also stricter rules on heating. Public buildings will not have any heating from April to the end of September each year, with room temperatures limited to a maximum of 20C for the rest of the year, although there are some exemptions. In areas such as warehouses, technical rooms, corridors, the maximum will range from 10 to 15C.

The city is also banning portable air conditioners, heaters and radiators, while only cold water will be available for hand washing in public buildings.

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“It’s no fun. But I hope the city community will go along with it,” said Onay.

Lower Saxony’s businesses seem to be following suit. In an IHK survey, two-thirds of 500 companies questioned said they foresaw putting in place potential savings of up to 10 percent on gas and electricity.

Other cities have been reacting to the energy crisis, too.

In Leipzig, city bosses have decided on a phased plan with the aim of saving around 15 percent energy. They will reduce room temperatures in public buildings and have already started turning down lights on monuments at night.

View of the unlit Monument to the Battle of the Nations. Against the background of the looming energy crisis, Leipzig has switched off the lighting of around 240 public buildings and landmarks. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Willnow

In Munich there will be no hot water in district offices, room temperatures in public offices will be reduced to a maximum of 19C, while areas not in use will not be heated at all.

During the holidays, hot water will be turned off in all schools, and the lighting of municipal buildings such as the town hall on Marienplatz will be switched off.

Meanwhile, Nuremberg has temporarily closed three of its four indoor swimming pools during the summer months to save energy.

According to the city’s calculations, Nuremberg’s indoor and outdoor swimming pools need 9.4 million kilowatt hours of district heating and about 800,000 kilowatt hours of gas per year. By closing the pools for 72 days, NürnbergBad frees up heating energy for 383 households or about 1,500 people in the city, as well as electricity for 789 households or 3,100 people.

In Stuttgart, the water in outdoor pools has been heated only by solar energy since July 1st. A spokesman for the city said this means there is no longer a guaranteed water temperature.

Tübingen is focusing on the massive expansion of renewable energy and the use of heat pumps. According to a spokesperson, lighting and heating are to be reduced to the minimum, too.

Earlier in July, the Bavarian city of Augsburg turned off its fountains, dimmed the facades of public buildings at night and is considering switching off some under-used traffic lights.

Member comments

ketcheson.bruce - 2 August 2022 at 12:21 CEST

Any previous German politician from the last 15 years should have gas and electricity turned off at their homes and offices. No exceptions

Become a Member to leave a comment.

EXPLAINED: How German residents could soon need to exchange their heating systems

What’s going on?

As part of the government’s aims to slash carbon emissions, the Economics Ministry is working on a new law that will see Germany transition away from oil and gas heating systems towards more climate-friendly sources of energy.

If the bill comes into force, homeowners will be obligated to install low-emission heating systems like heat pumps and solar energy by 2045 at the latest – though many will need to do this much sooner.

Currently, almost 50 percent of the some 41 million households in Germany heat their homes with gas, followed by oil at 25 percent and district heating at 14 percent. In contrast, barely three percent of households heat with more sustainable energy sources like direct electric heating and heat pumps.

The energy sector – including household heating – is responsible for producing just over a third of Germany’s carbon emissions each year, making it a cornerstone of the government’s climate plan. But some homeowners are concerned they’ll have to foot the bill for pricey new heating systems they may struggle to afford.

Do homeowners need to take action now?

Not necessarily. Though the bill stipulates that every newly installed heating system from January 1st 2024 must be powered by at least 65 percent renewable energy, there’s no suggestion that homeowners will need to do this straight away.

In fact, old heating systems run on oil or gas can continue to be used and repaired from 2024 onwards, but if any new system is installed after this date, the 65-percent-renewables rule applies.

That said, it could be worth looking into your options ahead of time and considering what environmentally friendly heating makes most sense for you. Though the deadlines for switching have been relaxed considerably, it’s helpful to know how much you could need to shell out in the future.

What happens if my heating system stops working after 2024?

In an emergency situation where your heating breaks completely and can’t be repaired, the bill says homeowners will be permitted to get an oil or gas burner quickly installed. These are generally available at short notice and can be fitted rapidly, whereas installing devices like heat pumps can take much longer.

A heat pump in a garden in Germany.

A heat pump in a garden in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Reinhardt

If homeowners go down this road, they will then have three years to ecologically retrofit the heating system, for example by swapping their temporary gas heating with a heat pump. Any new system should once again be run on at least 65 percent renewable energy.

What are my options for replacing oil and gas?

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has primarily focussed on heat pumps in his bill, though there are plenty of other options for eco-friendly heating systems.

Heat pumps are electricity-powered devices that draw heat from the air, ground or water, compress it to make it warmer and then transfer the heat to a new location. They are one of the most energy efficient heating devices on the market, but can also come with a hefty price tag, depending on what type you choose and how it is installed. However, they are generally a far cheaper source of energy in the long-run than gas or oil.

The draft also mentions other potential options for heating the home in an energy efficient way, such as connecting to a heating network or direct electricity heating and, under certain conditions, heating based on solar thermal energy, biomass heating, hydrogen heating or gas heating that demonstrably uses renewable gases. Hybrid systems using a combination of heating pumps and gas could also be an option.

Does it make sense to get new oil and gas heaters installed now?

Despite the upcoming ban on new gas and oil heating installations – or, more likely, because of it – there are early signs that sales of fossil-fuel powered heating systems are booming this year. In the first quarter of 2023, sales of gas and oil burners was up 38 percent, suggesting that people are rushing to install new heating systems while they can.

While this might seem like a good strategy for postponing the purchase of a pricey new system, it may not be the best idea in the long run.

A woman turns up the thermostat on the radiator

A woman turns up the thermostat on the radiator at home. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hauke-Christian Dittrich

That’s because hikes in the CO2 tax is likely to drive up the price of oil and gas heating significantly, while systems driven by renewables tend to be cheaper to run.

In addition, all fossil fuel heating systems have to be exchanged by 2045 at the latest anyway, and even a new system (especially if it’s a cheap one) could break down in the meantime.

Are there any exceptions I should know about?

Yes. For elderly people, the government has added a carve-out in recognition of the fact that installing environmentally friendly heating systems may be burdensome for the older generation and is unlikely to pay off.

In concrete terms, that means that people over the age of 80 who live in their own home can replace old gas and oil heating systems with systems of the same type. However, if they sell the house or pass it on in their will, the exception ceases to apply and the new owners have two years to replace the old fossil fuel heating.

Gas and oil heating installation will also be permitted under some circumstances, for example if they can run on renewable raw materials or green gases like biomethane, or if they can be run on pure hydrogen in the future.

In addition, there will be special hardship provisions for low-income households.

Can I get financial support from the government?

Yes. Regardless of your income, you should be able to get a fairly large subsidy from the government for exchanging the heating system in your home – though the amount slightly depends on the timing and other factors.

Currently, the paper states that people who replace their inefficient heating system with a more eco-friendly one can get a 10-40 percent subsidy on the cost. In future, all homeowners who have to replace their heating will get a flat subsidy of 30 percent. Originally, the subsidies were intended to be on a graded scale and linked to income, but disagreement in the traffic light coalition saw this idea scrapped.

A man sits at a table and counts money.

A man sits at a table and counts money. The government is offering significant subsidies for home owners who need to exchange their heating systems. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hauke-Christian Dittrich

Instead, so-called “climate bonuses” with additional subsides of 10 or 20 percent will be available for some groups. For example, people receiving social welfare payments will get an extra 20 percent subsidy, meaning they only have to shoulder 50 percent of the costs.

Meanwhile, homeowners who are obliged to replace their heating systems will receive a climate bonus of 10 percent if they replace their particularly old and inefficient heating system before the deadline or install a heating system with a higher proportion of renewables.

It’s worth mentioning that people who live in a self-owned flat will only take a share of the total cost of the refit, which will be split between members of the homeowners’ association.

Should tenants worry about increased heating costs?

In the case of landlords and tenants, it’s theoretically possible for the property owner to buy a cheaper and less efficient heating system and pass these hefty operating costs onto their tenants.

However, to avoid this situation, the government has written special new tenants’ protections into the draft law.

For example, landlords will only be allowed to pass on the amount that would be required to generate the same amount of heat with a sufficiently efficient heat pump when billing for operating costs for gas heating systems based on biomethane, which may be cheaper to purchase but more expensive to run.

Regulations are also planned to protect tenants in buildings with poorer energy efficiency from excessive operating costs when a less efficient heat pump is installed.

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