A new government initiative launched in Belgium urges citizens and homes to reduce their use of force so that they can “be vigorous in power and help Ukraine.”
“Using energy wisely helps your fund, helps us to be less dependent on Russia and more adaptable to the weather,” Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten said in a statement announcing the plan.
The program will take five weeks online and on all Belgian radio stations.
The campaign material published on the dedicated website is provided with “five simple tips that will help you save energy in the short term, without losing comfort.”
Tips include lowering the thermostat by one degree, checking the energy level of household appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, leaving the car at home more often and consider using a microwave to reheat food as – according to the campaign – it uses. 4 times more energy than a stove or oven.
Van der Straeten also urged Belgians to prepare for winter: “Belgian housing costs almost all of energy across Europe,” urging residents to invest in better installations, solar panels, heat pumps and solar water heaters.
To “set a good example,” the Belgian government also reduced heat to all government buildings by one degree a statement from Mathieu Michel, Belgium’s secretary of state.
Belgium buys 30% of petroleum, 20% of uranium and 6% of natural gas from Russia according to figures from the country’s energy department.
Minister Van der Straeten also pointed out that there is no problem with the supply of goods in Belgium, but “no one can predict how the conflict will turn out, but we can prepare now.”
Other European countries such as France and Germany have also taken steps to reduce their dependence on power.