Italy’s electricity consumption fell last year. It was partly due to austerity measures, but also to an exceptionally warm autumn.
LECCO, ITALY The energy crisis that started with the war in Ukraine has made Europeans think about how to save electricity in everyday life.
In Italy, known for its world-conquering delicacies, energy is saved even in the kitchen.
Italian scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics Giorgio Parisi published a more energy-efficient pasta soup recipe on social media in the fall. After that, the trend has spread (you switch to another service) across the country.
According to the cooking instructions, let the water heat up to the boiling point, and then add the pasta. After 1-2 minutes, the stove is turned off. The pasta is allowed to cook in a pot under the lid in hot water that has been boiled once.
Electricity or gas is saved in an amount equivalent to about ten minutes of cooking.
It matters because Italians eat the most pasta in the world (you will switch to another service). The average Italian eats pasta five times a week, more than 23 kilos a year.
Not everyone has swallowed the Nobelist’s instructions without biting. A discussion began about what kind of pasta it would be when cooked this way.
Even the chefs of the country have visited the matter (you will switch to another service) heated argument. Some of them have accepted the way of cooking pasta suggested by Paris. Energy-efficient instructions has also supported (you switch to another service) among others Barilla, which is one of Italy’s largest pasta producers.
For example, a famous chef Antonello Colonna on the other hand criticize (you move to another service)that when cooked according to the instructions, the pasta becomes rubbery.
Indoor temperatures have been calculated, even Christmas lights are saved
In Italy, of course, energy is saved elsewhere than in the kitchen.
The temperature of administrative buildings, schools and homes is prescribed by law for this winter (you will switch to another service) to 19 degrees. The central heating in these buildings was switched on two weeks later than in previous years, and in the spring it is switched off a week earlier than usual.
Electricity companies and the state have started campaigns aimed at saving electricity and gas. In them, Italians are advised to turn off the lights, do a full load of laundry and pull the plugs of electrical appliances from the wall.
Many municipalities have also saved on Christmas lighting. The Christmas tree in Piazza Venezia in the center of Rome was lit up with LED lights, as were the Christmas lights of Milan’s shopping street Corso Buenos Aires. In some of the municipalities surrounding Milan, the Christmas lights have not been lit at all.
The Italian government has supported households and companies suffering from high energy bills with support packages totaling approximately 80 billion euros.
Get rid of Russian natural gas
In Italy, the use of renewable energy sources is increasing. Still, about 60 percent of the energy still coming (you switch to another service) from fossil sources such as natural gas, oil and coal.
About half of the electricity is produced with natural gas, which is imported from abroad.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, Italy has managed to significantly reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas. In 2021, 38 percent of Italy’s imported gas came from Russia. In November 2022, the number was only around three percent.
Gas imports have been increased from, for example, Algeria, Azerbaijan and Norway.
The statistics of the Italian foreign policy institute Ispi show that in 2022 Italy will have used a fifth less electricity than the previous year.
Statistician at the Foreign Policy Institute Matteo Villan by however, the savings will not result (you will switch to another service) only from the actions of the citizens and the administration. The mild autumn also contributed to the fact that heating was needed later and therefore less energy was consumed. The year 2022 was the warmest in Italy (you switch to another service) then the year 1800.
Still, Villa describes the Italians’ energy saving as very significant.
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