The Presidential Office is trying to economise at the presidential seats of Prague Castle and the Lany manor. Credit: Zenon Moreau / Brno Daily.
Prague, Sept 16 (CTK) – The Prague Castle administration will shorten its outdoor illumination by two hours, as one of the measures by which the Presidential Office intends to save over CZK 7 million on energy during winter, President Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told journalists yesterday.
It will also lower temperatures in offices and close some greenhouses, Ovcacek said.
The Presidential Office is trying to economise at the Prague Castle and the Lany manor, the presidential seats.
“Many measures were already imposed at the start of the war in Ukraine. In reaction to the latest developments, we are planning and considering further urgent measures,” said Vratislav Mynar, head of the Presidential Office.
“Only the operation of basic security elements and technologies in archives and depositories will be without restrictions,” he added.
The Presidential Office has vowed to significantly cut energy use for lighting, restricting lights in the corridors, outside roads and decorative illumination.
“At present, the solemn outdoor illumination of the Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral, a dominant feature of Prague, is always turned off at midnight,” Ovcacek said. He said that from now the lights may be turned off at 10pm.
The Prague Castle administration had already brought forward the turning off of the lights from the original time of 1am.
A part of the greenhouses in the Lumbe Garden will be closed, which the office hopes will save CZK 1.5 million.
The temperature in offices will be reduced by 1-2 degrees to 20 degrees, Ovcacek said, adding that this will save a further CZK 1.3 million.
Some employees will be moved to smaller rooms and the use of convection heaters will be banned. The temperature of warm drinking water will be lowered.
Other authorities and state bodies are also due to cut consumption over the anticipated restriction of gas and oil deliveries from Russia.
On Wednesday, the EU proposed that member states should mandatorily cut energy consumption by 5% in peak hours. Overall electricity consumption should be cut by 10% by next March.
EU energy ministers will discuss the whole set of proposals at an emergency meeting called by the Czech presidency on 30 September.
