ROME, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Government buildings in Italy will be asked not to turn air conditioners below 25 degrees centigrade in the coming summer months, a top government official said Wednesday.

Giorgio Mule, Italy's undersecretary of defense, told La 7 Television that the limit was aimed at using less energy as a way to reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Russia.

The limit is warmer than typical for air-conditioned buildings in a country where summer temperatures often top 40 degrees centigrade.

The government's energy rationing initiative, named "operation thermostat," will enter into force on May 1 and last until March 31, 2023. It will also prohibit heating buildings above 19 degrees centigrade when the weather turns cold.

The buildings impacted by the new rule also include schools, regulators and post offices. It is not clear how the new rules will be enforced.

Though the government has no power to apply the rules to private companies and individuals, the government said it hoped they would follow suit.

According to media reports, Minister of Public Administration Renato Brunetta said the plan would save at least 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Enditem

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