As part of Germany's collective effort to save energy, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to dim the lights on the Christmas tree outside his official residence in Berlin.

Scholz dims Christmas lights in Berlin

Olaf Scholz has limited the amount of time that lights decorating a Christmas tree outside the chancellery in Berlin will be turned on for. In 2021 the lights were shining non-stop, but this year they will be limited to 4pm to 8pm, a spokesperson told the AFP.

The chancellery tree is decorated with 4.920 LED powered lights and was grown in a nearby forest in Brandenburg. Lights decorating another of Berlin’s official Christmas trees, which stands before the Brandenburg Gate, will also be limited to shining six hours a day.

Germany successfully cuts energy use

The decision to dim the lights on Scholz’s chancellery tree comes as Germany makes wider efforts to reduce energy consumption during the current crisis. Floodlights on many monuments and sights in Berlin are also shrouded in darkness after the sun sets. The top of the Berliner Dom is no longer illuminated and mist in recent days has meant the unlit Fernsehturm has almost disappeared from the skyline of the German city.

Though the country is well prepared for the winter - gas storage facilities are full and citizens have already proven to be changing their habits to reduce consumption - the situation remains uncertain with most of the winter still ahead.

Thumb image credit: Mummert-und-Ibold / Shutterstock.com