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CLIMATE CRISIS

How to keep your apartment cool in Austria this summer

Austria is considered a cold country, and Austrian homes are traditionally made to keep the heat inside during the long cold winters - but hotter summers have started to make living in Austria more difficult.

How to keep your apartment cool in Austria this summer
Summers are becoming hotter in Europe. Photo: Pixabay

The number of heat days in Austria – with temperatures soaring above 30C – is on the rise, and many homes in the Alpine country are not designed for such hot summer weather. Instead, they were made to keep the heat inside during the long and cold winter months. 

Additionally, air conditioning systems are still not very common in apartments, and many house owners are still averse to the idea of installing an ac system. So, how can you keep your apartment or house cool in Austria this summer as temperatures rise?

Here are a few tips.

Use a fan

An electrical fan is an excellent way to keep your apartment cool without breaking the bank. While it may not cool the air down as much as an air conditioning system, it is significantly cheaper to run. 

According to Der Standard, a fan uses 95 percent less energy than a mobile AC unit, with an average cost of just €7 per summer (based on 60 days of use). In contrast, a portable air conditioning unit could cost €170 in additional electricity costs.

Ceiling fans are particularly effective, as they can help to circulate air throughout your apartment.

READ ALSO: How to avoid getting heat exhaustion in Austria’s scorching weather

Close blinds and curtains

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to cool down your apartment is to keep all blinds and curtains closed during the day to keep out the heat. 

In Vienna, government subsidies are available to purchase external blinds and shutters for an apartment. However, permission from a landlord is required for rental properties.

An alternative is using se light-coloured or reflective window coverings to reflect heat away from your apartment. Window films or shades that are reflective on the outside can help to keep your apartment cool, especially if you live in a hot and sunny climate.

READ ALSO: Five Austrian destinations you can reach by train to escape the heat

Close your windows

Keep windows closed during the hottest part of the day and open them at night to let cool air in. This will help keep your apartment cool and comfortable without relying on air conditioning. If you live in an area with high humidity, you may want to invest in a dehumidifier to help remove excess moisture from the air.

Hang up your wet laundry

Did you know you can cool down your apartment by hanging up wet laundry to dry? As the clothes dry, evaporation removes heat from the air, cooling the room. Plus, it saves more money on energy bills by not using a tumble dryer (which can actually warm up your apartment even more).

Wear clothing made from natural fibres

Wearing natural fibres is one of the best ways to stay cool in hot weather. This means wearing clothing made from cotton, linen, silk, bamboo, lyocell, or merino wool. Bamboo and lyocell are also sustainable crops, so buying clothes made from these fibres is better for the environment, too (as long as it’s from FSC-certified wood).

Keep hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial during hot weather. Always drink plenty of water during hot weather – even when inside an apartment – as this will help to keep your body temperature down. Additionally, try to eat a light diet during times of high temperatures, such as salads and vegetables.

READ ALSO: ‘Hitzefrei’: When is it too hot to work in Austria?

Use a damp cloth

If you find it challenging to sleep due to the heat, try using a cool damp cloth to cool your neck. It won’t have the same effect as crisp air conditioning, but it will help to cool you down.

Try to avoid heating up your apartment

Avoid using the oven or stove during the day, as they can generate much heat. Instead, try to cook meals in the early morning or late evening. If you must use the oven, try to use it for multiple dishes at once to reduce the amount of time it’s on.

Similarly, using devices such as hair dryers or clothes dryers can also increase your home’s indoor temperature, so it’s best to avoid them.

Use energy-efficient light bulbs, which generate less heat than traditional bulbs. This small change can make a big difference in keeping your apartment cool. LED bulbs are a great choice, as they use less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs.

READ ALSO: How to stay cool in Austria as the heatwave hits

Resorting to an airconditioning system

If there is no other option than air conditioning, try to use it sparingly. For example, just for a few hours at night. Mobile air conditioning units are the most expensive, with approximately 8kWh of electricity consumed during an eight-hour period. However, these are easy to source at hardware stores and are simple to install. 

Split units (with indoor and outdoor compartments) are cheaper to run but need to be installed by a specialist and usually require permission from a landlord. These devices use around 40 to 50 percent less energy than a mobile unit.

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POLITICS

‘Laughing stock of Europe’: What’s the new crisis to hit Austria’s coalition government?

Austria's environment minister went against the government's will and voted in favour of controversial EU legislation. Chancellor Nehammer now accuses the minister of 'abuse of office'.

'Laughing stock of Europe': What's the new crisis to hit Austria's coalition government?

It’s the latest crisis between centre-right ÖVP and its junior Green coalition partners. This one will make its way up to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), according to statements given by Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) on Monday (17).

This is due to the fact that Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler broke with coalition partners to help pass a controversial EU-level law. “I know I will face opposition in Austria on this, but I am convinced that this is the time to adopt this law,” Gewessler told reporters.

The Federal Chancellery promptly responded to Gewessler’s unilateral action: “Austria will bring an action for annulment before the ECJ,” it said. Her vote was “not in line with the domestic will and therefore could not be cast in accordance with the constitution”, the Chancellor’s office said.

READ ALSO: Europe warned it must do more to deal with climate crisis

Gewessler will be charged with suspected abuse of office, ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker announced in a press release.

“There is a suspicion that Leonore Gewessler is acting unlawfully and knowingly against the clear guidelines of the Constitutional Service and against the constitution with her approval of the ordinance – this constitutes abuse of office,” Stocker said.

What was voted?

At the core of the discussion is a controversial EU law known as the “EU nature restoration law”. The legislation mandates the restoration of at least 20 percent of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 to restore all ecosystems in need by 2050. This landmark bill aims to address the decline of Europe’s natural habitats, a significant portion of which are currently assessed as being in poor condition.

The legislation includes specific targets for various ecosystems, including peatlands, forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coral beds. Member states are required to improve at least 30 percent of these habitats by 2030, with this target increasing to 60 percent by 2040 and 90 percent by 2050.

The conservative ÖVP party has been against the regulations, consistently reasserting Austria’s abstention vote for two years now since the EU Commission presented the package that included the “nature restoration law.” 

But now, Gewessler’s rogue vote was crucial for the legislation to pass. Austria’s vote, which was a mystery until the very end, was decisive.

Although a clear majority of states voted in favour anyway, the necessary quorum of 65 percent of EU residents was only achieved because of Austria. In the end, 66.07 percent of the EU population voted in favour of the law.

Can Gewessler vote against the Chancellery decision?

That’s complicated, and the courts will decide. 

The Chancellor argues that Austria had already been notified to abstain, a position based on “a uniform opinion of the Regional Governments (Bundesländer), binding for the Federal Government under Austrian constitutional law, as well as the lacking consensus within the Austrian Federal Government ”. 

He means that Austrian states have also agreed not to back the proposal. However, in May, two states, Vienna and Carinthia, pulled out of this vote, as Der Standard reported. This makes it unclear, even among constitutional lawyers, whether there is still a “uniform opinion” and whether Gewessler would be bound by it, the report added.

READ ALSO: Why Vienna is a haven for wild animals – and where you can find them

Criticism from SPÖ and far-right

The SPÖ and FPÖ criticised Gewessler and Nehammer for their actions on Monday. The two had made Austria “the laughing stock of Europe”, said SPÖ climate spokesperson Julia Herr in a press statement. 

“What we are currently experiencing is basically the continuation of the last five years of black-green, only with tougher strikes because the election is approaching,” she said.

Meanwhile, far-right FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl demanded that Nehammer take responsibility for Gewessler’s “ideology-driven solo effort”. In his opinion, the law meant the “death” of domestic agriculture and the security of supply with domestic food.

The major environmental NGOs were very pleased with the approval of Gewessler’s EU nature restoration law: Greenpeace spoke of a “milestone” in a press release, the WWF saw “historic progress”, and Global 2000 saw an “important tool in the fight against the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis”.

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