Some of Germany’s publicly owned lenders have come up with creative solutions to ward off the chill after they turned down the temperature in their offices to save energy.
(Bloomberg) — Some of Germany’s publicly owned lenders have come up with creative solutions to ward off the chill after they turned down the temperature in their offices to save energy.
Project- and export-finance bank KfW Ipex handed out blankets made from recycled fleece to its 800 bankers in Frankfurt in early January, a spokeswoman for the lender told Bloomberg News. The room temperature in its offices are 19C (66F) at the most to follow regulations.
Helaba, meanwhile, has ordered lined vests for its staff that have arrived this week and which are to make for a pleasant work environment despite lower temperatures, a spokesman said. The bank, which provided fitting rooms so its staff would be able to pick the correct size, has also set a maximum temperature of 19C, down from 21C before.
Germany put a curb on room temperatures in public buildings from September as part of a push to lower consumption amid the unfolding energy crisis. Bankers at Helaba and KfW Ipex are among the lucky few to get the warming-up perks, however.
European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said in July that saving energy early on would help avoid industry having to reduce power use in winter.
Deutsche Bank AG, whose offices don’t fall under the new regulation because they’re privately owned, has decided to keep its temperatures at 20C, without free blankets nor vests.
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