Attempt to save money left Differdange town hall without heating

Since the beginning of winter, a crisis has been brewing in the municipality of Differdange, but not a political one, rather a temperature-related one. The temporary town hall building, where services were relocated due to the large-scale renovation of the main building on Avenue Charlotte, proved unable to withstand the cold: the heating system keeps breaking down, leaving about 70 employees and city officials in rooms with temperatures not exceeding 17°C.

The building itself is a former city hospital, now converted into offices for departments with limited interaction with the public: building permits, transport and mobility, and human resources. More "public" services, such as the citizen services office (Biergeramt), have been moved to the Nelson Mandela residence.

The problems began almost immediately after the move. As one employee said, the situation worsens with every cold snap: "The temperature in the rooms constantly stays between 14 and 17 degrees, and it is extremely difficult to work in such conditions." Despite the complaints, the city council has essentially become a hostage to its own decision: when choosing a heating system, it opted for a cheaper but, as it turned out, less reliable option.

Mayor Guy Altmeisch explains that the switch to pellet heating was motivated by a desire to be more environmentally friendly and move away from fuel oil and gas. The system cost around €100,000. However, according to one of the employees, the alternative, more sustainable solution proposed by a specialist cost €30,000 more — and it was this solution that was recommended for installation. Today, faced with regular breakdowns, the authorities are forced to admit that the attempt to save money has backfired.

The boiler cannot cope with the load on frosty days: the pellets do not provide sufficient heat, and the unit shuts down as soon as it reaches 45°C. As an emergency measure, the city council now intends to install an additional fuel oil burner to maintain a temperature of 60°C.

Meanwhile, the mayor has advocated for a partial transition to remote work for employees, with the condition that some staff remain on duty in the offices. The renovation of the main city hall building will only be completed in 3–4 years, and until then, the heating situation may become a test of endurance — both for employees and for the entire city administration system.