Several press agencies reported that Italy’s Ministry of Ecological Transition signed off on a new “energy-saving” decree, introducing tighter restrictions on the use of gas heating over the winter.
According to the ministry’s statement, the overall winter heating season will be reduced by 15 days—"postponing the switch-on date by eight days, and bringing the switch-off forward by seven"; the daily operating period will be reduced by one hour a day; and the decree will put a cap on indoor temperatures—18ºC (64.4ºF) for businesses, and 19ºC (66.2ºF) for private citizens.
TASS reported, “the new restrictions will not apply to “places of worship, nurseries, kindergartens and swimming pools” nor to “buildings whose heating systems rely on sources of renewable energy,” the ministry said. It doesn’t mention schools and hospitals however—buildings which obviously accommodate the most vulnerable—the elderly, the sick and children.
But, oh—it allows that “in the event of particularly severe weather conditions, local authorities will retain the power to authorize heating outside the times set in the decree.” How comforting!
The Ministry of Ecological Transition is a department of the Italian government. It was formed in 2021 by the Draghi Cabinet, and replaced the Ministry of the Environment.
