Pitch black shop windows, unlit official buildings and monuments, no Christmas decorations, dim lanterns in the streets: Vienna is entering dark times. what is known so far.
“Es wird scho glei dumpa” – the well-known Christmas carol could be more topical than ever this Advent. Electricity has become scarce and expensive. The brightly lit metropolis that never sleeps may soon be a picture from distant days. Or better: distant nights.
The Spar retail group only switches on the outdoor lighting in its stores around opening hours. Rewe (Billa, Billa plus, Penny) has also reduced the lighting in parking lots and billboards. “Further measures are being discussed internally”, says “Krone” when asked. Not just there.
Dark deals make the streets darker
Saving energy is a major problem for many Viennese companies, explains trade manager Margarete Gumprecht. Brightly lit displays at 2am can be fun. But that costs money. Dark deals darken the streets. Will at least the official buildings, palaces, monuments and churches be illuminated? That hasn’t been decided yet.
“Lights off” in Vienna with a more symbolic character
“The City of Vienna is currently examining possible measures, especially with regard to the duration and scope of ‘effect lighting’, ie the lighting of public buildings and monuments,” explains a spokesman for city councilor Ulli Sima (SPÖ). German communities submit and leave their town hall at night after dark. What that means for people’s sense of security remains to be seen. According to the Sima office, “lights off” is more of a symbolic character anyway. In Vienna, effect lighting accounts for one percent of electricity consumption for public lighting.
The street lamps consume much more. And since 2017, the city has switched to LED (requires 60% less energy). According to MA 33, more than half of the lamps have been replaced. The entire transition should be successful by 2026. Will the Christmas lights fail due to cost pressure? That is determined by the traders in the local shopping streets. Maybe it’s less than usual. “But I can’t imagine Vienna without it,” says Gumprecht.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
