Bucharest City Hall said that it introduced a package of 25 measures to reduce electricity consumption during Romania’s ongoing energy crisis, including dimming public lighting, restricting the charging of electric buses, and switching off ornamental and advertising lights. The measures will apply particularly during the critical 8 p.m.-11 p.m. period, with some restrictions extending throughout the night.
The plan was agreed following a meeting on Monday, August 3, between Bucharest mayor Ciprian Ciucu and the main electricity-consuming entities under the municipality, City Hall said.
As such, public transport operator STB will stop charging its electric buses between 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. and restrict maintenance and other energy-intensive activities during the evening. Lighting at parking facilities will only be switched on after 10 p.m., while lighting inside maintenance halls will be reduced between 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
STB will also switch off unnecessary lights and air conditioning systems and disconnect chargers overnight.
Meanwhile, the municipal heating company Termoenergetica will stop pressure-boosting pumps, with domestic hot water supplied using pressure from the cold-water network. It will also reduce or reschedule the operation of recirculation and pressure pumps, limit air conditioning at administrative offices, and switch off non-essential lighting.
The city’s public lighting company will also reduce the brightness of LED streetlights connected to its remote management system by around 30%.
Bucharest Local Police will notify private advertising operators to switch off digital screens and illuminated advertising between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. throughout August, the City Hall also said.
At the City Hall’s headquarters, ornamental lighting on the building and in the inner courtyard will remain off throughout the night. The building’s cooling system will also be reduced during August, while electric vehicles will no longer be charged during the critical evening period or overnight.
Energy consumption will also be reduced at municipal cemeteries, crematoriums, and parks, while the city’s social assistance authority will limit administrative and exterior lighting, switch off non-essential electronic equipment, and schedule energy-intensive activities outside peak hours.
Cultural institutions under Bucharest City Hall, including museums, theaters, the Metropolitan Library, ARCUB, and the Comic Opera for Children, will switch off interior and exterior lighting overnight and limit air conditioning in areas not being used by staff or the public. Electronic and IT equipment will also be disconnected at the end of the working day rather than left on standby.
The measures come as Romania remains under an energy state of alert throughout August amid reduced electricity production caused by drought and historically low Danube water levels. The government has called on public authorities, companies, and households to voluntarily reduce electricity consumption, particularly during evening peak hours.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/Primăria Municipiului Bucureşti)
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