For a few weeks now, the government has been discussing an upper limit for heating indoors in order to save gas – now the draft of the Short-Term Energy Security Ordinance has been finalized and should come into force on September 1st. This can have health consequences for many Germans.
As part of the gas emergency plan, the EU Commission has been planning comprehensive energy-saving measures throughout Europe for some time. Among other things, the draft provides for reducing the heating temperature to 19 degrees.
In Germany, the measures for this were laid down in the draft of the short-term energy security ordinance (EnSikuV), which is to come into force at the beginning of September through an ordinance authorization from the Energy Security Act by the Bundestag.
The aim of the regulation is to save two percent of German gas consumption. The most important measures emerge from the background paper of the leading Federal Ministry of Economics, which is headed by Robert Habeck. They should apply until the end of February:
Reduction of air temperatures in public buildings:
Exceptions apply in areas that are particularly worthy of protection, such as
Private employers are also entitled to only maintain the minimum temperature of 19 degrees permanently. In addition, tenants should be able to turn down the thermostat themselves – regardless of contractual agreements, according to which the tenant must independently ensure minimum temperatures in the living space. Obligations to prevent material damage to the rented property through appropriate heating and ventilation are not affected.
The Federal Association of Local Authorities, on the other hand, doubts that tenants would be able to assess for themselves the extent to which ventilation should be increased when the temperature drops. It is therefore extremely important that the housing companies provide their tenants with appropriate advice and support in order to prevent the formation of mold that is hazardous to health or damage to the building fabric.
Because: Room temperature is not always room temperature. Depending on the building and use, the recommended temperature varies. The previous recommendation of the Federal Environment Agency reads:
However, it is not just the fabric of the building that is affected by the reduction in indoor room temperatures. According to experts, the fear of enormous heating bills on the part of private individuals – due to insufficiently heated interiors – could lead to health problems and hypothermia across the board.
Mold formation is an important point. Because: A lower room temperature lowers the dew point of the air humidity, it then tends to condense on the walls. During the day, the room temperature should not be lowered below 19 or even better 20 degrees Celsius to avoid mold growth.
Numerous studies have already shown connections between exposure to mold and respiratory problems. Since spores and metabolites from mold are inhaled through the air, irritating reactions can be triggered. This increases the risk of:
According to information from the consumer advice center, people with pre-existing health conditions and those with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk.
Because the cold increases blood pressure by constricting blood vessels, it increases the risk of stroke and heart attack — especially for people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
According to the Heart Foundation, people with the following diseases are particularly at risk:
Studies also show that an apartment that is too cold can also cause an increase in blood pressure. A Japanese study from 2013, which was carried out on healthy people, for example, showed measurably lower blood pressure values when the room air was 24 degrees Celsius compared to 14 degrees Celsius. In colder temperatures, people with previous illnesses should therefore listen to their body’s signals particularly well. According to studies, the risk of heart problems increases with every drop in grade. But it only becomes life-threatening from minus four degrees.
Regular exercise and (medical) adjustment of medication could be helpful countermeasures.
So what temperatures are acceptable indoors in winter from a health perspective? The WHO guidelines declare 18 degrees Celsius as the absolute minimum for healthy people. Vulnerable groups urgently need to be treated separately.
In addition to the health risks mentioned, the risk of hypothermia also increases in certain risk groups. This includes:
The general influence of room temperatures on the risk of death from hypothermia needs to be assessed, as there are no meaningful statistics to date. According to the current state of knowledge, slightly lower room temperatures generally do not lead to an increased risk of hypothermia for healthy people.
Hypothermia occurs when the body releases more heat than it produces over a sustained period of time. The normal human body temperature is between 36.5 and 37.4 degrees Celsius – depending on physical characteristics such as age, gender, muscle mass, body fat percentage and hormones. It is influenced by factors such as movement, clothing and also the outside temperatures. The time of day also has an influence on the core temperature.
One speaks of hypothermia when the body temperature falls below 35 degrees Celsius. This can happen not only when you are outside in cold, windy weather, in cold water, but also in apartments that are too cold. The decisive factor is that the body consumes more heat than it can produce. Old, sick or exhausted people as well as children are more susceptible here.
According to the German Red Cross, there are two stages of hypothermia, which are as follows, depending on the severity:
