As Germany is scrambling to cut its energy usage in the wake of an impending Russian gas crisis, cities are switching off lights on public landmarks, shutting down fountains, and enforcing cold showers in public swimming pools and sports facilities. According to a report by The Guardian, Hanover in north-western Germany became the first major city to announce energy-saving initiatives on Wednesday, which includes shutting off the hot water in the showers and toilets of municipal-run buildings and recreation centres. 

Furthermore, on Wednesday night, around 200 historical landmarks and government buildings in Berlin, the capital of Germany, were covered in darkness as the city turned off spotlights to conserve electricity. The Jewish Museum, the Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz, and the Victory Column in Tiergarten Park are such monuments that used to light up at night, The Guardian reported.   

In addition to this, the use of portable air conditioners and fan heaters have been prohibited in the Lower Saxony state capital's municipal buildings, which would only be heated from October 1 to March 31 and no higher than 20°C room temperature. As per The Guardian report, hospitals, care facilities, schools, and nurseries will not be subject to the cost-cutting measures. 

Meanwhile, Hanover's goal of 15% savings is in accordance with the cuts which the European Commission has requested the member states to implement this week. The European Commission’s request came in order to guarantee that the member nations can manage in the case of a complete gas suspension from Russia. As per The Guardian report, Germany is under pressure to set the example since it is more dependent on Russian gas imports than any other European nation. 

Belit Onay, the Mayor of Hanover, said, “The situation is unpredictable,” adding, “Every kilowatt hour counts, and protecting critical infrastructure has to be a priority”, The Guardian reported.  

Further, a senator for the environment in Berlin, Bettina Jarasch noted, “In the face of the war against Ukraine and Russia’s energy threats it is vital that we handle our energy as carefully as possible.” 

Besides this, in an effort to prevent energy providers from going bankrupt in the coming months, Germany acknowledged on Thursday that a planned gas surcharge on customers may be far higher than initially anticipated. Economy Minister Robert Habeck was quoted by the BBC as saying, “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."  

Notably, the majority of Germany's gas imports are used to power its sizable industries and heat homes. 

Germany has relied on Russian gas for a long time to meet its energy demands, but more recently, Germany has claimed that Russia has cut off the supply as retaliation for European Union's sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine, an allegation that Russia disputes, BBC reported. 

Germany claimed that Russia's most recent reduction to Nord Stream 1 is a political ploy to increase prices and sow doubt in the middle of the crisis in Ukraine, as stated in an Associated Press report. The latest reduction has been attributed by Russia to technical difficulties. On Wednesday, July 27, Russia's Gazprom reduced the quantity of natural gas flowing through the vital pipeline from Russia to Europe to 20% of its capacity.