The Slovenian regulatory authority for the energy market on Monday issued the first of four early warning levels over possible difficulties with the supply of natural gas, while the government has issued a number of energy conservation recommendations.

Infrastructure minister Bojan Kumer, who will on Tuesday accompany Prime Minister Robert Golob on his visit to Berlin, where the energy situation in Europe will be one of topics of the talks with the German hosts, told a press conference in Ljubljana that the declaration of the first level of warning was a consequence of disruptions in the procurement of Russian gas through the Nord Stream pipeline.

This is about timely preparation for the heating season and possible alternatives, said Kumer, adding that most EU members had already issued similar or more severe warning, but that natural gas supply in Slovenia was not at risk yet.

The Energy Agency as the Slovenian regulatory authority said it was warning natural gas users that in the event of a weaker flow of natural gas from Russia it might be necessary to declare a higher level of crisis and to halt supply or to switch to an alternative energy source.

Energy minister Kumer confirmed that the government had adopted measures and recommendations for energy conservation and rational use of energy in state administration and the public sector, which could save about 10% of the total consumption for cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, or about €10 million.

The public sector in Slovenia accounts for only 5-10% of total energy consumption, but the private sector and households should also consider measures for rational use of energy before the autumn, and if possible prepare for a switch to alternative energy sources, the Slovenian government recommends.

The 12 recommendations and measures for rational use of energy in the public sector and state administration include a recommendation that state-owned premises not be cooled to a temperature below 25 degrees Celsius, while the highest allowed temperature for the winter will be determined at a later date.