The thermostat in all EUR buildings will be turned down to a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius this week. This decision was taken by the Executive Board of the university, after a national appeal from the government to save energy.
National campaign to save energy
The government has called upon citizens and businesses to save energy as part of a national campaign, called “Zet ook de knop om”. The idea behind this energy saving campaign is to become less dependent on Russian gas sources and to combat climate change. Moreover, saving energy reduces costs – especially considering the high gas prices.
Turning down the thermostat step by step
Over the course of this week, the heating will be turned down with two degrees Celsius. At the end of the week the temperature adjustment will be implemented in all university buildings, except for the children’s daycare centre. There will be no adjustments made to the cooling system of university buildings for the time being, out of consideration for the well-being of students and staff in case of high outside temperatures.
"Also at our university we are turning the switch and lowering the thermostat in our buildings from 21 to 19 degrees. With this decision, the university supports a national appeal from the Dutch government to save energy"
Ellen van Schoten
Vice president of the Executive Board
The temperature per room may differ
The thermostat of each building is set to 19 degrees Celsius. As a result, the heating in separate rooms in the buildings cannot be turned higher than 19 degrees either. Nevertheless, the temperature in individual rooms can vary. As Arnold Verburg from the department of Real Estate & Facilities explains: “The temperature per room depends on multiple factors, such as the exposure to sunlight and the number of people and devices present in that room. “
Contribution to a more sustainable university
The decision to turn down the thermostat in university buildings might well be permanent. With the measure, the university expects to save about 8 to 14 percent on heating. This contributes to the EUR’s ambition to become one of the most sustainable universities in the Netherlands. In light of this ambition, the university has already taken several steps towards a more sustainable campus.
Curious to find out what you can do yourself to save energy? Check out the website tegengas.nu (Dutch website) for practical tips from sustainability organisation Urgenda.
- More information
Do you have any questions? Please contact the Service Desk, at servicedesk@eur.nl.