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Spain has banned its citizens from setting the thermostat too low in public areas because of the hot weather.
According to Euronews, households are not included in the new rules because air conditioning units are not allowed to be set at temperatures less than 81 degrees.
The ban will stay in place until November next year.
The European Union plans to wean itself off of Russian gas in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, according to officials.
That is more difficult than done. The US Energy Information Administration says that Spain is Europe's seventh largest consumer of natural gas.
Russia is the country's second largest supplier, but Algeria is the country's main supplier.
The Spanish population could be at risk if AC temperatures are raised.
There were over 2,000 heat-related deaths in Spain in July. Adding to those numbers could only be done by cooling the buildings where people work.
Spain isn't the only country limiting AC use. France, Greece, and Italy have all taken similar measures to keep thermostats higher in the summer and lower in the winter, in addition to other energy-saving measures such as ordering doors of shops to be kept shut.
The region president of Madrid is unwilling to follow suit. "Madrid isn't going to switch off" is what Ayuso said in a statement.
That type of behavior isn't out of character for Ayuso, who also resisted the Spanish government's attempts to implement COVID restrictions.
Some citizens have suggested that the temperature be lowered to around 77 degrees.
It's not clear if those suggestions will sway public officials.
The German government says it may keep the nuclear plant open.
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