Cold showers, no lights: Europe saves as Russian gas wanes

Cold showers, no lights: Europe saves as Russian gas wanes

FILE - Smoke rises from a chimney of a Vattenfall heating power plant in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 4, 2021. European Union governments agreed Tuesday, July 26, 2022 to ration natural gas this winter to protect themselves against any further supply cuts by Russia as Moscow pursues its invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)

PARIS (AP) — Energy saving is all the rage in Europe as the continent rushes to wean itself off natural gas and oil from Russia. Governments are urging Europeans to take shorter showers, switch off power sockets and otherwise do what they can to economize. The stakes are high. If Russia entirely severs the supplies of gas that it has already drastically reduced amid the war in Ukraine, officials fear shortages that could force industries to shut down. They say it is imperative that Europe reduces energy use now, so it can be saved for use later in homes, factories and power plants during winter.

Photo: (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)