Benidorm businesses publicly denounce imposed government measures

The Independent Association of Traders of Benidorm and Province (AICO) has publicly denounced the measures adopted by the Spanish Government for energy saving and efficiency.

AICO says the problem extends to all industries although special emphasis is placed on tourist destinations, Mediodía Radio Sirena confirmed on Sunday, August 7.

The complaint has also included the Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias of Benidorm (ABRECA).

With regards to the mandatory measures for trade, both AICO and ABRECA argued the regulations against the actual situation.

Air temperature limits

Regulation – The energy saving and management shock plan for air conditioning to limit the air temperature in air-conditioned rooms to the following values:

The air temperature in cooled rooms shall not be less than 27ºC.

The air temperature in heated rooms shall not be higher than 19ºC.

These temperature conditions shall be accompanied by a relative humidity control between 30% and 70%.

The change in the temperature limits for enclosures comes into effect from 10 August and will remain in force until 1 November 2023.

Real situation – In any destination on the Mediterranean coast, the limit applied to air conditioning systems is anti-commercial, which will cause discomfort in the establishment and, therefore, the loss of sales in person, which will foreseeably be diverted to other shopping channels, such as on-line and shopping centres.

Door closing

Regulation – As was already compulsory for the buildings affected and is included in the RITE, buildings and premises with access from the street must have an adequate door closing system, in order to prevent doors from remaining open permanently, with the consequent energy wastage due to energy losses to the outside.

The door locking system, although already mandatory for most buildings in compliance with RITE, will be required in all cases from 30 September 2022.

Real situation – a large number of establishments aimed exclusively at tourist customers, plus others whose sales depend to a large extent on visitors, do not have doors for access, being free to enter along the width of the commercial façade.

In view of this commercial singularity, the application of this measure entails a significant and obligatory economic investment until 1 November 2023, with no time to amortise the expense and, foreseeably, the non-compliance of a large part of these premises due to the demand that the installation companies will have to meet the deadline of 30 September.

Therefore, this date is insufficient and the risk of a sanction that this entails for not being able to comply with the approved measures remains.

Shop window lighting

Regulation – Shop window lighting must be switched off from 10:00.PM onwards.

The time limit on shop window lighting comes into force from August 10 and will remain in force until November 1 2023.

Real situation – An establishment without its shop window is like a vehicle at night without its headlights, you can’t see it.

This is another measure that makes it difficult for urban commerce to operate in the streets without the support of street lighting, creating areas of insecurity and introducing an atmosphere of false security that only favours those who are lovers of other people’s possessions and from which, unfortunately, the vast majority are totally immune from prosecution.

Public information on the measures

Regulation – As already established in the RITE, the values of air temperature and relative humidity recorded at any given moment must be displayed by means of a suitable device, placed in a visible and frequented the place, preferably in access vestibules and with minimum dimensions of 297 x 420 mm (DIN A3) and measurement accuracy of ± 0.5 ºC.

This device is compulsory in enclosures with a surface area of more than 1,000 m2, at a rate of one device for every 1,000 m2 of enclosure surface area.

Now, additionally, inside all premises, information must be provided, by means of information signs or the use of screens, on the application measures that contribute to energy savings regarding the limit values of air temperatures, information on temperature and humidity, door opening, and inspection and maintenance regimes of the installations.

The installation of information signs comes into effect from 2 September and will remain in force until 1 November 2023.

Real Situation – this measure is the least burdensome for any type of business as long as we are not obliged to acquire devices that provide this information, and we can use digital applications, tools and measures that are reliable so that the information is truthful.

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