"We are going to ask for responsible behavior, savings, efficiency," Ribera told the Cadena SER radio station, adding "We are not going to include an obligation in the legislation that a home thermostat be set to a certain temperature."
She added that the government would release "recommendations" for regular consumers on the matter shortly. For industrial consumers, the government is still discussing what measures could be applied to optimize the use of gas through crisis, Ribera said.
On Wednesday, the EU Commission proposed new coordinated measures to reduce gas demand in EU member states, including the introduction of initially voluntary goals to reduce gas demand by 15% between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, which corresponds to 45 billion cubic meters of gas.
Ribera said that Spain rejected the proposal, expressing deep regret at the Commission's "lack of dialogue" with member states, and urged EU energy ministers to discuss this initiative during next week's meeting. The minister added that the Spanish government would protect the interests of domestic business, as a reduction in gas consumption could seriously affect the country's industrial competitiveness.
The proposals of the EU Commission will go into effect after they are approved by a qualified majority of member states in the EU Council.