Europe's energy crisis: Spain lowers the temperature on strict air conditioning rules

euronews.com:

The Spanish government is lowering the temperature - literally - on a heated debate about limiting the use of air conditioners. 

Last week the government announced plans to prevent offices, shops and other venues from setting air conditioning below 27°C in the summer, as part of a drive to cut the country's energy consumption and limit dependency on Russian gas.

The new rules would also stop heaters being raised above 19°C in winter. 

Although the government is standing firm on the plan as a whole, in the face of a wave of criticism, it is relenting a little. 

A new list of establishments which will be exempt from the new rules has been published, and includes hospitals; universities, schools and kindergartens; and hairdressing salons. 

Bars, restaurants, and certain shops will also be able to use air conditioning "at around 25 degrees" and not the 27 degrees originally announced.

The amended rules are supposed to cater to work places where staff have "physical exercise conditions", as opposed to sedentary workplaces like an office or a shop where employees don't do much physical activity. Those places will still have to stick to the original 27°C air conditioning limits. 

There was a particularly strong reaction to the new plans from Spain's hospitality sector. 

"What they had dictated is nonsense," said César García, owner of one of the Vips Group restaurants in the city of Segovia. 

"The hotel and catering industry has already suffered the consequences of the restrictions during the pandemic and now they want to impose more. We are not going to comply until we are sanctioned," he added.

Although García argued that allowing a temperature of 25 degrees is more realistic, he says it is still not low enough. 

"We set the air in the