The energy plan starts in offices but shops and bars are left out

"We will begin to moderate the temperature on Monday, although we are going to keep it between 25 and 27 degrees because we move around a lot here," explained yesterday Berta Roig, a worker at a fashion boutique in Barcelona.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
15 August 2022 Monday 01:00
16 Reads
The energy plan starts in offices but shops and bars are left out

"We will begin to moderate the temperature on Monday, although we are going to keep it between 25 and 27 degrees because we move around a lot here," explained yesterday Berta Roig, a worker at a fashion boutique in Barcelona. Doubts about the application of the energy saving measures that came into force yesterday were a constant, especially in medium and small companies.

And the truth is that these will have little impact beyond the offices. Most shops and restaurants follow the legislation on occupational hazards and will keep the air conditioning below 27 degrees. Large chains such as El Corte Inglés, Mercadona or Mango consider that the limitation of refrigeration to 27 degrees in their stores does not apply to them, since having workers who perform light work (not sedentary) must be at 25 degrees.

The decree of energy saving measures provides that the temperature thresholds can be adjusted to the occupational health and safety law, and this is how these companies have interpreted it. Only in areas such as customer service or other areas -administration- where employees remain seated will 27 degrees be applied. In winter they will keep the temperature at a maximum of 19 degrees.

The clerks of El Corte Inglés in Plaza Catalunya confirmed that the thermostat in the department stores was at 25 degrees in the shopping area. "Yesterday we had it at 24, and a few years ago at 21 degrees," said a veteran worker in the perfumery area. Instead, in several stores of the giant Inditex, employees assured on Wednesday that the temperature was set at 27 degrees. "We have raised the temperature today due to the new energy saving measures," assured a Zara employee on Passeig de Gràcia. Company sources limited themselves to saying that it applies "the current energy and environmental regulations strictly".

From the Passeig de Gràcia merchants association they have lamented the “insecurity and confusion” generated by the decree. "The temperature threshold is interpretable and does not take into account the climatic characteristics of the city where the shops are located," stressed Lluís Sans, owner of the emblematic Santa Eulàlia, on Barcelona's artery. "We have had the temperature at 25 degrees in summer for a long time, but I really don't know if we have to raise it," he added.

A few meters away, in the Majestic and Mandarin hotels, the air conditioning was 27 degrees, but only in the reception and other common areas. Like businesses, hotels will barely notice the measure because the rooms where guests stay and the restaurant area are left out. In fact, in the dozens of restaurants located in the commercial heart of Barcelona, ​​it is more worrying that the shops have to turn off shop windows at 10 p.m. "The streets will look sadder, fewer customers will come to dinner," repeated restaurateurs consulted. Madrid businessmen pointed precisely to this problem yesterday and have requested a meeting with the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Reyes Maroto, to address it.

The application of the new regulations is more evident when carrying out sedentary jobs in offices. Large banks such as CaixaBank or Banc Sabadell assured that they had sent instructions so that the temperature in both offices and central services is 27 degrees. However, an employee of an office in Barcelona explained yesterday that she had not received any communication because the area manager was on vacation and they kept the thermostat unchanged.

Where greater compliance is expected is in turning off the lights in the shop windows after 10 p.m. Some banks already began applying the regulations on Tuesday. CaixaBank, for example, plans to turn off all signs except the one indicating the existence of an ATM. Alina Lazaroui, a worker at a car rental company, explained that this week she has already modified the automatic system so that the exterior sign turns off at 10 p.m. Regarding the interior temperature, she specified that the regulation depends on whether or not there are clients or what number.

Doubts also abounded in shopping malls and markets. Some paradistas of municipal markets have complained of excessive heat. In other shopping centers, store employees like Verónica Rodríguez stated that it is very difficult to regulate the temperature considering that the doors are open to the corridor.

In the Catalan regional administration, an attempt was made to apply the regulation but they are pending the creation of a commission to define a contingency plan on how to comply with the norm. "A worker who is right in a window in full sun is not the same as another who is in other areas," explained sources from the Department of Climate Action. It seems that energy savings will be more limited than expected by the Government.