• Tuesday, 02 July 2024

Heads of state intuitions to be fined for failure to save electricity by 15 pct

Heads of state intuitions to be fined for failure to save electricity by 15 pct
Skopje, 16 August 2022 (MIA) - As of September, the electricity bills of state institutions will be publicly published by the 15th of each month. The goal is not only for citizens to have an insight into consumption, but also to know whether managers of state institutions comply with government's energy saving measures, i.e., to save electricity by up to 15 percent. Electricity consumption reports of the state institutions will be published by the Ministry of Economy. “The public will have an insight into which institution consumed how much electricity. Every month, electricity consumption reports of state institutions will be published, both for the current year and for the previous year, to make the comparison. Managers will be responsible for the measures, but the public will also have access, i.e., insight into consumption. This is how we will see how the managers acted. If they do not implement the recommendations for saving up to 15 percent, they will be responsible for the consequences, Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi said on Tuesday. At today’s press briefing, Bekteshi said that the government has adopted measures aimed at saving energy and electricity up to 15 percent. Recommendations are in place for households and companies whereas state institutions will be given concrete tasks they will have to meet, otherwise they could face fines. Decorative lightning of the facades of public buildings and cultural monuments should be turned off as well as street lighting when there is enough day light. Furthermore, air conditioning should not be set below 27C and heating should not be set above 20C. Computers should be turned off after working hours; heating and air conditioning filters should be changed regularly; only necessary documents should be printed; windows should be replaced with energy efficient ones, etc – these are some of the recommendations the state institutions are advised to follow. Households are recommended to turn on the boiler only when there is a need for hot water and preferably cheap electricity, reasonable use of heating devices, rational use of light bulbs and use of more daylight, insulation of the ceilings, external walls and windows,... Recommendations for the businesses include to turn off the decorative lighting on the facades of all buildings, not to use lighting in the interior rooms, halls and offices in the buildings during a period when there is enough daylight, rational heating and cooling with air conditioners, regular change of the filters of the heating units and air conditioners… The measures will be enforced as of September 1, 2022, until March 31, 2023.