vorarlberg.ORF.at: A hot, dry summer in Vorarlberg is coming to an end, where did you cool off this year? Where did you go on holiday this year – and how hot was it there?
Eva Hammerer: I was in Portugal with my family and we had a very drastic experience in terms of the heat. Passing through Biarritz, we suddenly found ourselves in apocalyptic clouds of smoke and saw how the people there had to be evacuated. In view of such extreme weather events, I really appreciate that we still have opportunities to cool down here in Vorarlberg with the lake and the mountains, which we have to preserve now.
Daniel Zadra: I went camping with my family in Italy. As everywhere in Europe, it was very hot. What was particularly striking was that it no longer cooled down during the nights. This is also new for the Italians to this extent, they confirmed to us. Back in Vorarlberg, I then cooled off in the outdoor pool and taught the children to swim.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: Saving energy is the order of the day. How do you teach your children to save energy – switch off lights etc. – and where do you save in everyday life?
Eva Hammerer: That makes me smile because my father used to tell us “the fridge isn’t a television”. He meant that we should only open the fridge briefly so that no energy is wasted. My siblings and I still sometimes tease my father with that, but of course the gist is true. In everyday life, energy can often be saved quickly and easily and I have passed this on to my own children.
Daniel Zadra: In my case it’s the other way around. Our oldest has excellent teachers in the kindergarten who discuss the topic well with the children, so in the meantime I’ve learned something from her. I’ve even gotten a reprimand for accidentally leaving the water running while brushing my teeth.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: Everything is getting more expensive. Where do you start saving? Are there things that you no longer want or can afford – or have you not yet gotten through the rise in prices?
Eva Hammerer: We too have decided, in the spirit of solidarity, to see where we can make savings. This means that we will be traveling even more with bicycles and cargo bikes in the future. In the heating season, we will also lower our room temperature by two degrees and put on a warm wool sweater. This not only saves energy, but also money.
Daniel Zadra: Compared to a minimum pensioner, I am in a very privileged situation, I am aware of that. Nevertheless, we have discussed within the family that we will drive even less by car in the future, we have already replaced the shower head with a water-saving alternative and are converting all lamps from conventional light sources to LEDs.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: A power place is a place that, according to wikipedia, is said to have a mostly positive psychological effect in the sense of calming, strengthening or expanding consciousness. Is there such a power place for you?
Eva Hammerer: Definitely the country house! No, kidding aside. For me, these places are the pledges, it helps me to get a good overview, and the green dam by the lake in Hard, because there I manage to get deeper into things.
Daniel Zadra: For me there is less a place of power than people of power. These are my family and my friends. The exchange with them helps me to switch off and to be able to rearrange my thoughts.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: Getting craftsmen is difficult. Where did you last have a construction site – and how long did you wait for the craftsmen?
Eva Hammerer: That’s my everyday life, I live on a construction site! We are currently carrying out an energetic core renovation on our house from the 1920s. And I could fill volumes with the stories of the construction! Of course it often takes strength when things are delayed and we are affected by bottlenecks in the supply chain, but the craftsmen do a really excellent job.
Daniel Zadra: I still have the issue ahead of me because we want to replace our 35-year-old gas boiler. Together with many other people from Lustenau, we are currently waiting for the connection to the biomass district heating network. I am sure that the craftsmen will be able to do it well. We have top people in the country, but of course we can always need more specialists for the energy transition.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: Many are afraid of what will happen if Putin suddenly turns off the gas tap. In Vorarlberg, many households heat with gas – how do you heat your apartment/house?
Eva Hammerer: We threw out our gas boiler last year and are currently converting to log heating.
Daniel Zadra: We want to replace our 35-year-old gas boiler and, like many other Lustenau residents, are waiting for the connection to the biomass district heating network.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: Many companies, but also many households, are preparing for a possible blackout. What would you do if the lights suddenly went out in Vorarlberg?
Eva Hammerer: These are very challenging times on many levels. And while in the past we might have laughed at the subject, we are now actively confronted with such questions. So I have to admit that I haven’t dealt with the topic enough so far and that I have to deal with precautions in more detail.
Daniel Zadra: I can assure you that Illwerke VKW is well prepared for such a scenario. But of course Vorarlberg is not an island. And if you ask me privately, I have provided a flashlight, a battery radio and a good bottle of wine just in case.
vorarlberg.ORF.at: In the vorarlberg museum in Bregenz there is currently the beauty exhibition, which deals with the question of beauty. what is beautiful for you
Eva Hammerer: Even if the grown-up children are at home and we have good conversations together, fool around and are carefree.
Daniel Zadra: A bike ride through the Ried. It doesn’t matter whether it’s spring, when the irises are in bloom, or now in autumn, when the wafts of mist create a picturesque atmosphere.