The plan is part of package of measures Government to stop the economic blow that can cause the Ukraine war. With energy prices skyrocketing and with an economy enormously dependent on energy from abroad, the Executive launches a specific plan to boost the energy saving in Public Administrations to circumvent the impact of rising energy prices.
The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of both the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Finance, has given the green light to a package of new measures with immediate impact to rationalize the use of the buildings and installations of the Administration and to reorganize the work of public employees in such a way that energy consumption can be reduced.
To make the use of public buildings more efficient, the Government will implement a strategy of rationalization of lighting on and off schedules interior and exterior, heating and air conditioning equipment and computer equipment, and the electrical power contracted for the buildings will also be reviewed to try to reduce it and lower the electricity bill.
In this field, the Government also will modify the air conditioning temperatures of the buildings both in winter (heating) and in summer (air conditioning) pTo avoid unnecessary energy waste with more demanding conditions than the current ones, a strategy will be promoted to install photovoltaic solar panels in public buildings and infrastructures to promote electricity self-consumption.
The Executive also intends to give a new impetus to telecommuting among officials to reduce energy consumption both in buildings and in the journeys of public employees themselves. The Ministry of Finance has commissioned all the ministries to identify the jobs that can carry out their work remotely, with the aim of generalizing as much as possible that officials telecommute three days a week and two others carry out their work in person.
The implementation of the service provision system through remote work will be voluntary and the minimum percentage of service provision face-to-face services must always be greater than 40% in the whole of the weekly shift. In parallel, the use of public transport and bicycles by public employees will be promoted and encouraged to promote sustainable mobility.
The Plan approved this Tuesday includes a series of training and awareness measures, such as the provision of free courses to public employees to promote the efficient use of energy in the office and in the use of the car, through the e-learning platform of the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). Most measures will temporary characterbut the Executive will study its extension depending on the situation.
The General Administration of the State thus intends to assume a leadership and exemplary role to promote savings and efficiency actions in a war scenario, with the aim of serving as a model for other administrations and also for private companies. “All this with the idea of obtaining, in the short term, savings on the electricity bill, as well as contributing to the reinforcement of the energy security of the country& rdquor ;, they indicate from the Government. “Spain is not one of the economies most exposed to Russia and the war in Ukraine, but we are not safe from rising energy prices”.