Italy Shivers as Europe's Cold Spell Hurts Gas Supply

[shugah]

Italy Shivers as Europe's Cold Spell Hurts Gas Supply

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Millions of Italians will be told to turn down their thermostats and urged to shower, not bathe, after Russia's coldest weather in half a century led to a shortage of natural gas in Europe's third-largest gas market.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet meets today in Rome to consider emergency measures that would force offices and homes to reduce central heating to 19 degrees Celsius (66 Fahrenheit). The government is also urging Italians to cover their pots and pans when they cook and not to leave their television sets on standby.

A Siberian cold front blew west a week ago, causing temperatures to plunge across Europe. Eni SpA, Italy's biggest gas importer, said yesterday it got less gas than it asked for from OAO Gazprom, the Russian energy company that supplies about a quarter of Italy's gas. Gazprom blamed Ukraine, through which much of Russia's gas flows to western Europe.

``Italy gets its fuel supplies from other countries because it doesn't produce its own,'' Berlusconi said today in a radio interview on state-owned broadcaster RAI.

Berlusconi said the order to reduce central heating won't apply to schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aIluWqL4FPgA&refer=europe

[Binka]

1. The price of gas has doubled since August! It is COLD HERE!

My house is large and poorly insulated it is costing me a fucking fortune to heat it. My four year old loves wearing her new Christmas coat inside so we have made it a game!

[mom cat]

2. I've had my house at 50F for several months now and it is not bad.

Our bodies were not meant to stay at 70 year round.

[EuroObserver]

3. This is less about price, more about supply (in cold europe). n/t

[Voltaire99]

4. Advice for Italians on how to keep warm

Burn Berlusconi's newspapers; they're good for something.