The undertakers say they’ll keep furnaces running day and night to avoid using gas
Skyrocketing gas prices have forced Germany’s largest crematorium to switch to a 24/7 work schedule, its management has said.
The head of Rhein-Taunus-Krematorium in Dachsenhausen, Karl-Heinz Konsgen, told Bild on Monday that his establishment has come up with a new way to “cope without gas during cremations.”
The facility, which is located in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, found that heating up its eight furnaces every day had become too expensive due to a spike in gas prices caused by EU sanctions on Russia and fears that Moscow could cut its reduced supply altogether.
“In addition to the price increase of 600%, the announcement of the alert phase of the gas emergency plan by the state economy minister is causing uncertainty for us,” Konsgen explained.
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In August, the furnaces of the crematorium that burns nearly 35,000 bodies per year were heated for the last time. The furnaces have been held at 800 degrees Celsius for the past year, meaning that there is no need to worry about paying gas.
Staff now have to work on weekends and nights because of the meat move. But, according to Konsgen, this wasn’t a problem for them. “Our employees have understood this and accepted the new working hours,”According to the undertaker.
Robert Habeck, German Economy Minister, initiated the second “alert level” of the country’s three-stage gas emergency gas plan in late June over fears that significant energy shortages could occur in winter.
All market participants must use gas efficiently and search for other sources of supply. If the last minute of the deadline passes, gas rationing and state interference will be activated. “emergency phase”This plan is now in place.
