'Russian' Winter is coming: Ukrainians educated in energy saving, alternative heating. (
RT).
Recognizing that it is extremely hard to keep a city flat warm
with no central heating, Kiev authorities, for example, launched a campaign
aimed at informing citizens on tricks and methods they could use to save energy
and heat – at temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius and lower.
Firstly, the heat insulation of windows and doors is strongly advised, as
well as the purchase of a personal boiler or energy-saving heating installation.
In fact, people are already starting to buy the boilers: shop owners in Kiev
told TCH TV channel that demand for such devices has increased at least
threefold since the beginning of the crisis.
Also, it is suggested in the brochures that city residents should buy warm
clothes made of natural fabric, valenki, and headwear to protect themselves from
freezing temperatures.
Where there is heating in flats, the authorities advise to paint the
radiators red or brown instead of traditional white, in order to increase their
heat output – or wrap them in foil.
With so many heating devices power consumption will increase and may overload
the grid, authorities are also giving advice on electricity savings: from
switching to lower wattage light bulbs, to giving up on devices’ stand-by
functions and instead unplugging them completely.
Among the more extreme advice, the authors of the brochure suggest that the
Kiev residents should use their balconies as fridges, and turn on the lights
only in one room, preferably pointing the source of light only on one spot – for
example, a table.
There are some kitchen suggestions too: people are advised not to wash dishes
in running water, and to eat only the types of food that take a few minutes to
prepare.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government started an aggressive propaganda campaign
called “Energy independence”, the aim of which is to inform Ukrainians about the
necessity to save energy and natural gas – in order to become independent from
Russian supplies.
It is noted that the funds for this campaign aren’t allocated
from the federal budget, but from donor programs from the EU and the US.
The vice premier of the country Vladimir Groysman has suggested the
population remember how to heat their homes with wood waste, turf, and straw –
and this is seriously being considered by experts. The whole campaign sounds like a revolutionary step, but not all are
convinced.
“
Nowadays, the authorities say we need to switch gas for something, to reduce
the gas consumption by 10-30 percent. It’s true, but they don’t tell the most
important thing: we consume much more than our European neighbors. For instance,
Poland consumes only 14-15 billion cubic meters of gas, while Ukraine consumes
almost 50.5 billion cubic meters,” Oleg Kozalchuk, the president of Ukrainian
Association of energy efficiency and energy saving, told Pravda.ru media outlet.
Warning the residents of Kiev to prepare for winter, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko
said he hopes they will “understand the temporary difficulties, taking into
account the situation in Kiev and in the country.”
Since currently there are no natural gas supplies from Russia, all the gas
extracted domestically “goes to the storages,” he told 112.ua agency explaining
the decision to switch off hot running water in summer. “It’s the Cabinet of
ministers’ demand, and respect it.”
Despite the mayor’s pledges that the heating is to be expected in households
in October, experts aren’t so sure.
“Klitschko can promise whatever he wants, but he can’t guarantee
anything. Does he have gas in storages? “Kievenergo” got the limits of gas usage
of 1.2 billion of cubic meters, while last year, they used 1.8 billion over the
same period, from August until March. And if the temperatures are low in autumn
and winter, then they’ll surely heat the radiators, and will turn off the hot
water,” the co-chairman of Fund of energy strategies Dmitry Marunich told
112.ua agency.
And while the temperatures go down, the tariffs increase – the utility rates
have already grown 1.5-2 times this year.
The consumption of natural gas in Ukraine reduced in July by 30.3 per cent
compared to July 2013, according to the country’s State Statistical Committee.
The consumption of oil has fallen by 23.3 per cent compared with last year – and
so has the consumption of coal, with figures showing a reduction by 25.9 per
cent.
Nevertheless, the cabinet of ministers declared an emergency situation in the
Ukrainian energy sector in June, urging the population to stock up on firewood
to try their best to save energy.
Hmmm.......I've said it before the only way Ukraine can keep warm this Winter is siphoning European gas. And Russia won't let this pass.
