The Polish authorities issued an order to reduce electricity consumption by 10% from November 1. The officials who fail to fulfill the order can face a fine of up to 20,000 zlotys ($4,500).
From December 5, the administration of Krakow is reducing its customer service hours at all facilities until 3:30 p.m. (14:30 GMT) in order to cut electricity bills, Polish radio reported.
Meanwhile, the city administration has established customer service points in some shopping centers, where residents will be able to resolve their issues until 6 p.m. The administration emphasized that many formalities can be resolved by mail.
Western countries and their allies have been facing a massive energy crisis and struggling to fill their gas reserves in time for the heating season in the aftermath of sanctions imposed on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The sanctions and the military operation resulted in significant disruptions in supply chains and a spike in energy prices worldwide.