A new government campaign launched in Belgium encourages citizens and households to reduce their energy consumption to “be smart with energy and help Ukraine”.

The initiative will run for five weeks online and on all Belgian radios.

Campaign materials published on a dedicated website offered “five simple tips to help you save energy in the short term, without losing comfort”.

Advice includes turning the thermostat down a degree, checking the energy rating of household appliances such as fridges and freezers, leaving the car at home more often and considering using a microwave to reheat food because – according to the countryside – it uses 4 times less energy than a stove or an oven.

Van der Straeten also asked Belgians to prepare for winter: “Belgian houses consume almost the most energy in all of Europe”, she said, urging citizens to invest in better insulation , solar panels, heat pumps and solar water heaters.

To “set a good example”, the Belgian government is also reducing the heating in all federal buildings by one degree, said Mathieu Michel, Belgium’s secretary of state.

Belgium imports 30% oil, 20% uranium and up to 6% natural gas from Russia according to figures from the country’s energy ministry.

Minister Van der Straeten reiterated that there is no supply problem for Belgium, but “nobody can predict the evolution of the conflict, but we can prepare now”.

Other European countries such as France and Germany have also taken steps to reduce their energy dependence.