There will not be as much light or heating at Prague Castle or Lány Castle. The Office of the President of the Republic wants to save on energy costs. The time the Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral are lit will be reduced.
“The festive outdoor lighting is currently switched off at midnight. This time will be shortened, and it could now be switched off as early as 10 pm,” presidential spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said on the Castle’s website on Thursday.
The Castle expects to save at least CZK 7 million from the series of measures, Chancellor Vratislav Mynář said. “Many measures have been in place since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. However, in response to the current developments, we are planning and considering several other even more fundamental measures,” Mynář wrote.
Some employees will be moved to smaller offices, and all will be banned from using direct heating. At the same time, the office temperature will be lowered to 20 degrees, saving about CZK 1.3 million, according to the Castle. There are plans to lower the temperature of the heated water supply or shut down part of the greenhouse in Lumbe’s garden, which is expected to save 1.5 million.
There will be no more lights in the corridors or exterior pathways, and decorative lighting will be taken out of service. The restrictions will not affect basic security features and technology in the archives and depositories. It is unclear whether they will affect the ceremony of awarding state honors on October 28, traditionally held at Prague Castle. The spokesman did not respond to the editorial office’s inquiry.
Other constitutional officials also want to set an example. For example, the House of Commons will limit the heating of its premises. According to Chancellor Martin Plisek, the electricity bill should save over half a million crowns by the end of the year, while the gas bill should be about CZK 120,000.