October 25, 2022 [Reuters] – German utility Uniper is shutting half the office space in its headquarters and lowering temperatures in areas remaining open to save gas, it told Rheinische Post on Monday, as it struggles to stay afloat even after being nationalized.

The company has switched off all devices and lamps in 50% of its office space in Duesseldorf, stopped cleaning and lowered the temperature to 14 degrees, the lowest it can be without damaging the building, the spokesperson told Rheinische Post.

In offices where people are working, temperatures were being lowered to 20 degrees, the report said. It did not give further details on how staffing would be managed.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to nationalise Uniper in September, committing 29 billion euros ($28.4 billion) to prop up Germany’s largest gas importer and prevent what it feared could be a Lehman-style collapse of energy firms.

The Rheinische Post report said E.ON (EON.UL) was also taking steps to reduce energy consumption in its buildings by at least 20% through measures like switching off lighting of logos and turning off hot water where possible.

“Every kilowatt hour counts this winter,” a spokesperson said.

 

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