No lights, cold showers! German city fighting over Russia’s energy!

The German city of Hanover!

This winter, the city has banned hot water in public buildings and has introduced measures to reduce heating and energy usage as Europe faces a potential natural gas crisis.

First city!

Germany is the first city to switch to cold showers in public buildings, making hot water unavailable for hand washing and other uses in government facilities, swimming pools, and gyms. This city is located in the country's northwest, reducing heating in public buildings and stopping lighting up public buildings during evenings.

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Reduce consumption!

The goal is to reduce energy consumption by 15%, a response to the looming gas storage and a big challenge for municipalities, especially for a big city like Hanover. Hanover will also turn off public fountains.

On Tuesday, across the European Union, member states are scrambling to save gas and store it for winter, where energy ministers agreed to cut gas use by 15% from August to March.

Sharing gas!

Germany is the bloc's biggest economy and has historically relied on Russian gas to power its homes and businesses. The country has slashed Moscow's share of gas imports to 35% from 55% since the war started.

Russian state energy giant Gazprom cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60%, blaming the West for withholding vital equipment due to sanctions. Germany declared a gas crisis and active the second phase of its three-stage emergency program.