Kortrijk and Bruges want to cut energy bills

Kortrijk will turn off public lighting and lower the heating in public buildings, among other things. In the short term, 1,800 solar panels will also be added. Kelly Detavernier, Alderman for Finance Kortrijk: “We already have a lot of buildings that have solar panels. We are going to roll this out more quickly. Energy sharing is positive. That means that where we realize a surplus, we can share it with other public buildings.”

Bruges is also taking similar measures to keep energy costs in check. In the city, the bill will triple this year, from 4 to 11 million euros. The city hopes to save 10 percent with some quick wins on public lighting and heating. Minou Esquenet, Alderman for energy and climate Bruges: “Today the monument lighting is on until 1 am. We will switch it off at 11 pm. We are now focusing on 100 buildings to reduce the energy bill. between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Then the gas tap is turned off. In the new buildings it will be 19 degrees, in the old buildings 20.”