Monday, September 28, 2026

Saving Energy Chatter

One odd development in Germany over the past 20 years....if you frequent outdoor restaurants in the fall/spring.....some folks have invested money in gas patio heaters (called Heizpilze).  They generally run off natural gas or oil.  

From my prospective....if you sit within 2 meters (6 feet)....you get a 'jolt' of heat (say around 10 F added to the temp).   So siting and having dinner, or have a beer....isn't some cold affair.  

Well...the EU in the past month or two....has proposed a BAN on the patio heaters....saying it's a waste of energy.  I won't argue much about the waste idea....but if you were a pub, or restaurant....if the ban occurs, you can probably zero-out about 20-percent of your fall/spring profit margin.

The only suggested 'cut'?  Well....NO.  There's talk of a nighttime public street lamp 'cut'.  

This being a suggestive idea?  That's also part of the story.  They'd prefer not to force this upon every state....that states would adapt the two ideas. 

German acceptance?  I'd give it less than a 5-percent chance of either idea being 'forced'.

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