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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
David Kent

Spain holidays: New air conditioning law could leave Irish tourists sweating

Ireland went through a mini heatwave which saw the country burning in temperatures of 33C last month and people left sweating.

But under new laws in Spain, anyone who fancies some time in the sun will also have to be careful with how they use any air conditioning.

Spanish shops, offices and hospitality venues will no longer be able to set their cooling systems below 27C in the summer.

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It's all part of a new policy from the Spanish government to save energy.

Large group of tourists sunbathing and swimming at Comte Beaches in Ibiza with Torre d'en Rovira in the background. (Carlos Ciudad/Getty Images)

Spain was one of multiple countries across Europe to see temperatures reach 40C over the last few weeks, with wildfires forcing residents to flee their homes, with some being killed.

That's continuing this week- with an orange alert being raised in nine of Spain's provinces for "intense heat" which is expected to last through to the middle of the week.

The hottest temperatures are expected at the start of the week in the eastern region of Extremadura, which sits just above Seville.

Crowded beach on a hot summer day (gettyimages.ie)

With regards to new energy rules, shops will also be obliged to keep doors closed and heating systems must be checked more often to increase efficiency under the new measures, Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said.

The measures include switching off store window lights after 10pm. Street lighting will not be affected.

Tourists leave the beach dragging suitcases in the sand on July 16, 2021 in Ibiza, Spain. (gettyimages.ie)

The government passed the bill as part of a bid to reduce the country’s gas consumption by 7% in line with the recent European Union energy agreements to limit dependency on Russian gas.

Ms Ribera said the measures would initially be maintained until November 2023.

The government says the measures will not only save energy but will also bring down bills for households and businesses.

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