Bars and restaurants allowed to set air conditioning at 25ºC

Bars and restaurants will not be required to set the air conditioning temperature to a minimum of 27ºC from Wednesday, as announced by Spanish ecological transition minister Teresa Ribera on Friday.

During the morning, Ribera was interviewed on several radio stations across the country where she confirmed the decree to limit indoor temperatures is "flexible," meaning, each space will set the temperature most adequate to their working conditions.

"If a different temperature is set in a specific space but it is justified, it can be granted," Teresa Ribera said in Catalunya Ràdio. Regarding bars and restaurants, the minister confirmed that "the working legislation recommends the temperature to be of around 25 degrees," she added on Onda Cero radio. 

"One thing is to have a comfortable temperature for workers, and the other is to set the air conditioning at 19ºC," the minister explained. 

In this case, establishments such as nightclubs, kitchens, and gyms will not need to set the temperature to a minimum of 27ºC during summer and the heat to a maximum of 19ºC in winter, as first reported when announced by the Spanish government on Monday. 

Other sites that will not be limited when setting a temperature are schools, hospitals, hair salons, and public transport such as trains and planes. 

However, buildings such as airports will still be required to limit air conditioning to a minimum of 27ºC to battle the rising cost of energy and to help save gas.

Shopping centers, public administration buildings, supermarkets, and cultural venues such as cinemas, theatres, and congress halls will still be required to limit the air conditioning in summer and the heat to a maximum of 19ºC in winter.

The measure will be in place until November 1, 2023.

The limit is part of several urgent measures in place to save energy and improve efficiency, especially after Russian gas supplies could be blocked unexpectedly. Energy prices have been constantly rising since the start of the war in Ukraine, driving inflation to all-time highs.

Stores will also have to switch off lights in their shop windows by 10 pm, as well as public buildings, which will be switched off if not being used. Fines are expected for those not obeying the new legislation, but authorities have not yet determined the amount.

The new energy-saving measures also expect buildings to have automatic doors before September 30, in a move to avoid wasting power.

Regarding renewable energy, the government called for a new auction with 3,300 MW available to come from wind and solar-generated energy.