Spain is to ban air conditioning units from being set to anything below 27C as it seeks to reduce energy consumption in the face of a major heatwave. The laws, are aimed at limiting dependency on Russian gas but there are concerns about the impact on the tourist industry.
The rules will also stop heating being raised about 19C during the winter. The laws are mandatory in all public and commercial buildings, including bars, cinemas, theaters, airports and train stations, reports Euronews. The rules are only recommended in private households. The rules will last until November 2023.
The decree stated: “[This] lays out a series of measures to save energy and use it more efficiently, which are urgent and necessary when it comes to reducing energy consumption in general, and reducing our dependence on energy outside the Spanish economy."
"We see that it saves energy and is good for climate change, but our concern is that it affects families, especially the most vulnerable," said Ana Isabel Gracia, secretary of social policies and housing at the Spanish trade union UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores).
