German city sets up 'warming centers' for those who can't afford heating

To help people who can no longer afford to heat their homes, Osnabruck resorts to an unusual remedy

BERLIN (AA) - As temperatures are dropping noticeably, with people reluctant to turn up the heating at homes due to high energy prices, Germany's Osnabruck city of the Lower Saxony state is offering "warming centers" starting Tuesday.

The centers aim to help those having a hard time heating their homes, Osnabruck's first city councilor, Wolfgang Beckermann, told the public broadcasting network NDR on Tuesday.

The warming centers in Osnabruck are available from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays at the youth center Heinz Fitschen Haus and from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at the Lerchenstrasse Community Center, according to the city administration.

According to calculations by the Federal Statistical Office, energy prices in Germany rose by 35.6% between August 2021 and August 2022.

In August, the inflation rate for heating oil was 111.5% compared to the previous year, with 83.8% for natural gas and 16.6% for electricity, while power plants had to pay 269.1% more for natural gas than in the same month last year.

Kaynak:

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