Germans urged to cap heat in offices this winter to save gas

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s economy minister says German businesses and public institutions should heat their offices no higher than 19 degrees Celsius (66.2 degrees Fahrenheit) this winter to help reduce the country’s consumption of natural gas. Germany — the European Union’s biggest economy — is trying to wean itself off using natural gas from Russia in response to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. Economy Minister Robert Habeck said while EU countries have pledged to cut their gas use by 15% from August compared to the previous five-year average, Germany needs to reduce its consumption by 20%. Habeck is also proposing banning the heaving of non-commercial private pools and switching off heating in common areas of public buildings.