The German city of Hanover brought in strict energy-saving rules in response to a looming energy crisis brought on by Russia drastically reducing energy exports to Europe..Hanover, which is home to 500,000 people, will cut off public hot water in buildings, swimming pools, gyms and sports halls. It will also switch off public fountains and stop illuminating major buildings, include the town hall, at night..Hanover Mayor Belit Onay said the city's aim of to reduce its energy consumption by 15%.."This is a reaction to the impending gas shortage, which poses a major challenge for the municipalities, especially for a large city like Hanover," he said..Across the European Union, member states are being forced to save on gas and store it for the winter. On Tuesday, the energy minister agreed to cut gas use by 15% from August to March. The bloc has been trying to wind down its reliance on Russian energy imports since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022..To save on energy consumption, the city of Hanover will also be cutting times that the heating will be on in municipal buildings from October to March, limiting room temperatures to a maximum of 20C, banning mobile air conditioners, fan heaters and radiators, and converting all lamps to LED..Other cities such as Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Cologne and Nuremburg have brought in similar energy-saving measures..The rules were implemented in response to Russia cutting the flow of gas through the Nord Stream pipeline. The state-owned gas company Gazprom cut energy flows by 60% last month, citing maintenance issues due to western countries for withholding vital equipment..But earlier this week, Gazprom slashed deliveries through the pipeline again to just 20% of its normal capacity. .Germany historically has been reliant on Russia gas to power its buildings, as 32% of the country's natural gas comes from Russia. .The developments caused European natural-gas futures to triple in 2022. German consumers are set to pay much higher power bills in the months to come, as a gas surcharge kicks in to keep energy companies from collapsing..German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said, "we can't say yet how much gas will cost in November, but the bitter news is it's definitely a few hundred euros per household.".Yasmin Fahimi, Germany's top union official, said the country's aluminum, glass, and chemical industries are at risk because of gas shortages.."Entire industries are in danger of collapsing permanently because of the gas bottleneck. Such a collapse would have massive consequences for the entire economy and jobs in Germany," he said.
