Shop windows and monuments without light from ten at night, offices and commercial establishments with temperature limits and free Cercanías and Media Distancia trains for regular travelers for four months, from September to December. Yesterday, the Councilor of Ministers approved a Royal Decree-Law on economic sustainability measures that includes a first package of actions to save energy in the face of the danger of the Russian gas cut-off, which will be in force until November 2023. For now, the industry is free from the cuts, which is a respite for Asturias, and the Principality will be in charge of ensuring compliance with the new obligations in the region, even with sanctions.
Mandatory temperature. In administrative buildings, public areas, shops, hotels, cultural spaces and stations, the refrigeration may not be set below 27 degrees Celsius or the heating above 19 degrees. In addition, the access doors to the premises must have automatic closures to maintain the temperature. There will be a period of one week to adapt the thermostat and until September 30 to adapt the doors.
Blackout of shop windows. The lights of shop windows, monuments and public spaces when not in use must be turned off after 10:00 p.m.
Boiler inspection. Temperature regulation is, in the case of homes, a recommendation and not an obligation. But households will be affected by the measure that forces properties to carry out an extraordinary review of their boilers and thermal installations before December 31, 2022, if the last one was done before January 2021.
Replacement of fossil fuels with renewables. Procedures for electrical networks and infrastructures will be streamlined, the injection of renewable gases into the gas pipeline network will be facilitated and storage will be promoted (there will be 150 million in aid for older renewable installations to include storage systems) and self-consumption. “We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of losing a single kilowatt-hour,” said vice president Teresa Ribera.
Efficiency aids. A call for aid of 100 million will be launched for industry and another of 100 million for buildings in the tertiary sector.
Free trains. The Government Spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, pointed out that the Royal Decree approved yesterday also includes economic measures in the field of transport to deal with the effects of inflation and contribute to energy savings. Thus, the Executive has approved the gratuity of the trains for recurring users between September 1 and December 31. Special multi-trip vouchers will be created for the Commuter and Medium Distance Conventional services, which will be free for users who make 16 trips in four months. To obtain the voucher, commuters must pay a deposit of ten euros and those of Media Distancia of 20 euros. In addition, new bonuses are created with 50% discounts for recurring users of high-speed commercial routes in 13 journeys of up to 100 minutes.
Reinforcement of scholarships. The text establishes a complementary amount of one hundred euros per month for the period between September and December 2022 for all the beneficiaries of the scholarships, grants and subsidies of the call for general scholarships for the academic year 2022-2023, for students who are pursuing post-compulsory studies and for those with a specific need for educational support. Isabel Rodríguez estimated that around one million students can benefit from this aid.
Aid to carriers. The Executive also agreed on a new Royal Decree-Law that will apply the principles of the Food Chain Law to the road freight transport sector to “ensure a fair use of subcontracting and the profitability of its work”. In addition, more than 450 million euros will be made available in direct aid to the sector. The amount that freight and passenger transport companies will receive based on the type of vehicle is maintained, and moving trucks and urban buses are included as new beneficiaries. The Government will pay 1,250 euros per truck, 950 euros per bus, 500 euros per van or ambulance, and 300 euros for taxis and VTC.
Main measures
- Temperature. In public buildings, offices and shops, cooling may not be below 27º and heating above 19º. They will have automatic closures.
- Lights off. Shop windows, monuments and public spaces, when not in use, must turn off their lighting after ten o’clock at night.
- Trained for free. Regular commuters of Cercanías and Media Distancia will be able to access free bonds lasting four months with the payment of a deposit of between 10 and 20 euros.
- Helps. The Government enables new aid for carriers and students, for industry and the tertiary sector to apply efficiency measures and to promote the use of renewables.