Government channels leftover Covid relief funds into energy saving campaign

The Estonian government has approved a resolution to redirect €107,567 in funds left over from an earlier campaign to combat COVID-19, to support a national energy saving initiative.
According to a government press release, the funds will now be channelled into the campaign "Together we can beat the energy crisis!" ("Koos saame energiakriisiga hakkama!"), which aims to encourage individuals, businesses and other organisations to save energy by making small changes to their everyday activities.
The campaign highlights that energy savings can be made through simple actions, and costs reduced by taking a more considered approach toward consumption.
According to the press release, Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine has created a complicated energy security situation. Reducing energy use is one of the quickest and most effective ways to mitigate this and save money.
The government also pointed out, that Estonia is not alone in dealing with the energy crisis, with countries across Europe also taking similar actions to reduce its impact.
The "Together we can beat the energy crisis!" campaign lays out four simple recommendations, which, if everyone follows, could reduce the total energy consumption of Estonian households by up to 8 percent.
First, where possible, reduce room temperatures by one degree. Second, cut down on hot water consumption by one liter. The third measure, according to the campaign, is to unplug household appliances when not in use, while spending less time in front of screens, including watching television can also help lower energy consumption.
In addition to the campaign, the government has also introduced a universal electricity service and automatic energy subsidies to support people and households during the current heating season.
More information and materials about the different energy saving measures are available (in Estonian) here.
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Editor: Michael Cole