EU state asks citizens to restrict washing clothes — RT World News
Washing machines, microwaves and other high-powered appliances should not be used in the evening, the Polish electricity company said.
Polish households have been urged by the country’s national grid operator to refrain from using washing machines and electric heaters in the evening, to avoid overloading the power supply. As the EU adjusts to life without Russian gas, other states have issued similar advice.
PSE, a public company and sole operator of the Polish national grid, has designated 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. “peak energy hours”, according to its website. The company explains on its website that with the energy supply “very tight,” the increase in demand during these hours forces the network to “operate at the highest capacity”, and with the most environmentally harmful coal-fired power stations.
To reduce the load, the PSE site asks households to turn off unnecessary lights, reduce the temperature of electric heaters and avoid the use of “power-hungry appliances” such as washing machines, kettles, microwaves and ovens during these times.
The PES advice is the latest attempt by the Polish government to reduce its citizens’ energy consumption since Warsaw imposed sanctions on Moscow and cut itself off from Russian energy imports. Before the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine last February, Poland imported 46% of its gas, 65% of its oil and 15% of its coal from Russia, according to figures from Forum Energii, a think tank Polish.
Warsaw has been one of kyiv’s strongest supporters in Europe and was one of the first to ban the import of Russian fossil fuels. Poland’s Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskva claimed at the time that “Poland is an energy-secure country, which must not and will not give in to Russia’s gas blackmail.”
However, domestic energy prices in Poland doubled between February and September last year before the government intervened in October to cap prices. Still, with the state absorbing the cost, inflation hit a 16-year high of 18.4% last month, according to state figures.
Poland’s national railway company raised prices in January to account for rising energy costs, while local authorities turned off street lights and closed public buildings at the start of winter.
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Poland’s attempts to reduce energy consumption have been mirrored in other EU countries. In Germany, which relied heavily on Russian gas before last year, citizens have been advised to shower less and lower their thermostats. In France, politicians have asked the public to wear heavier clothes and adopt energy “sobriety”.
Across the EU, the energy deficit has been exacerbated by the transition to less reliable green energy sources. In Ireland, where a third of the country’s electricity was generated by wind last year, citizens are currently being advised to avoid using power-hungry appliances unless the wind is blowing outside. outdoors, so the state’s wind farms can handle demand.
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