Karins instructs ministers to prepare for implementation of energy saving measures next heating season

RIGA - Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) earlier this week instructed all ministers and the State Chancellery to prepare for implementation of energy saving measures in the coming heating season, as the premier's press secretary Sandris Sabajevs informed LETA.

According to Karins' decree, all ministers and the State Chancellery's Director Janis Citskovskis must by August 18 submit to the Economics Ministry information on energy saving measures to be implemented in next heating season at each ministry, its institutions and companies.

Economics Minister Ilze Indriksone (National Alliance) will have to collect information from the ministries and develop guidelines that will set common energy saving goals in the new heating season by September 2. The draft guidelines will be submitted to the government for consideration.

"Russia continues its brutal war in Ukraine and uses energy resources to blackmail Europe, to weaken and divide the European Union member countries in their support for Ukraine," says Karins, expressing confidence that Russia will not succeed in achieving these goals.

As reported, EU member states have agreed an emergency gas plan that aims to soften the impact of a potential total stoppage in Russian gas supplies. The plan provides for a voluntary 15 percent reduction in member states' natural gas consumption between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.

Indriksone told LETA at end-July that, according to information available to the state, gas for the heating season would be provided in sufficient amounts in Latvia.