Largest Landlord in Germany to Restrict Hot Water and Heating at Night
Vonovia said the move was intended to save energy and gas use during the current crisis
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Germany's second-largest town of Hamburg recently told its residents to prepare for hot-water rationing due to "an acute gas shortage."
Not long after, Germany's largest landlord told tenants that when the heating season starts in autumn, they will only be able to use heat up to 17C (62.6F) between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am.
Vonovia said the move was intended to save energy and gas use during the current crisis.
The company added that the change won't affect daytime temperatures.
They also stated that access to hot water won't be affected, meaning tenants can shower as usual according to The Local
Workers will make changes to the heating system during routine maintenance which is aimed to save 8% on heating costs.
Meanwhile, a housing co-op in Saxony had taken drastic steps to minimize energy use in its buildings, including shutting off hot water for several hours a day.
JUST IN - Vonovia, Germany's largest housing group, begins to throttle its tenants' heating at night to save gas, a spokeswoman said.
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 7, 2022
Hundreds of thousands are affected, Berliner Zeitung reports.
Tenants of Dippoldiswalde Housing Cooperative can only take warm showers in the early mornings and late afternoons
The heating systems are also set to remain off until September.
Germany's Federal Network Agency has been pushing for a change in the legal minimum temperatures for tenants.
President Klaus Müller Klaus Müller told the Rheinische Post that tenants should face pressure to reduce their energy usage.
"In tenancy law, there are specifications according to which the landlord must set the heating system so that a minimum temperature of between 20C and 22C is achieved," he said.
"The state could temporarily lower the specifications for landlords," he added.
"We are discussing this with politicians."
Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has set strict legal targets for gas storage as the country scrambles to replenish its energy supply for the winter.
Amid the current Russian war with Ukraine, just 40% of the usual deliveries flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia.
Caps on energy usage or other measures, such as reducing temperatures in apartment complexes, may be ordered at the federal level.
