On the twenty-seventh of September, the Energy Saving Plan 2022/2023 was published in Diário da República, which introduces novel measures regarding energy consumption and energy transition process. Such aim is an energetic response to the energy crisis currently experienced in Europe.The Energy Saving Plan 2022/2023 highlights mandatory and voluntary measures; with different temporal effects (short, medium, and long term), which affect energy production and public services in Europe. Thus, we can observe the promise to reactivate coal power plants and optimise/modernise hydroelectric production (short/medium term); progressively eliminate in households the natural gas option through a replacement programme based on incentives (long term).Some examples present in such document on the 27th to be applied throughout Europe are:
- Cut off hot water in public buildings (including showers in swimming pools and sports halls);
- Recommendation/voluntary conduct for lower consumption (may become mandatory in case of non-compliance);
- Light restrictions on monuments, festival or special holidays, reduce public light luminosity or to switch of 50% of bulb;
- Imposition regarding temperature limits in commercial and service buildings.
With the Energy Saving Plan 2022/2023, it is expected less 5% of natural gas consumption when compared to the reference period: “given the unconstrained aim of reducing consumption by 15%, 19% of such can be achieved with immediate measures and 31% with the total of measures”, stated into the document.
