Europe seems to worry about energy shortage scenarios as countries struggle to keep the lights on after Russia tightened the squeeze on gas flow on the continent.

Hanover, the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony has announced it will turn off hot water in public buildings, swimming pools, sports halls and gyms as fears of a winter energy crisis are mounting.

These are some measures the city’s mayor Belit Onay and Finance and Regulatory Affairs Dr Axel von der Ohe have presented to the public.

Other measures include limiting room temperature to a maximum of 20°C, switching off outdoor lighting in public buildings such as museums, the shutdown of fountains and replacement of permanent lighting in toilets, bicycle storage facilities, corridors and other traffic areas.

Mr Onay said: “The aim is to reduce our energy consumption by 15%. This is a reaction to the impending gas shortage, which poses a major challenge for the municipalities – especially for a large city like Hanover.

“The situation is unpredictable, as the last few days have shown. We see it as a responsibility here and we have to move forward. Every kilowatt hour saved protects the gas shortage.”