The heating in the building has been adjusted, the saunas have been switched off and several eco-friendly measures have been introduced. Like many other businesses, the Espern fitness center in Hamar has introduced several cost-saving measures due to high electricity prices. The latest measure the fitness center has taken is to ask people to be quick in the shower. “Be as fast as you can” and “If you manage MAX 2 minutes in the shower we will be very happy”, reads the message written on several posters in the changing room. But is it possible? INVITATION: If you manage to shower in less than two minutes, we will be very happy, says the note in the cloakroom. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad We test The personal record of the Swedish skiing legend Gunde Svan is 1.23 minutes. This is the time he spends undressing, showering with hair wash, drying and dressing. So it is possible to shower in less than two minutes. But Svan has short hair. So how fast can a person with long, thick hair be? First, the body must be rinsed. Quickly. We go straight on without letting the water heat up. 1.36 minutes left. Then shampoo. The reporter in the video usually uses two rounds of shampoo before going to the next step. This time she cuts out round two to save time. 49 seconds left. A joint effort In September, the government provided electricity support to Norwegian companies. But some industries are harder hit by the high electricity prices than others, among them gyms which have large expenses for heating and hot water for the shower. – The fact that we want people to spend a little less time showering is a call to be a little more conscious. That’s what An-Magritt Vangen, general manager at Espern Aktivitetspark says. She says that they have had an additional cost of energy of NOK 2 million since last year. – It shows how important it is with all the measures we put in place, and in this sense, showers are also one of the important measures, says Vangen. EXPENSIVE: General manager at Espern, An-Magritt Vangen, has a 4,000 square meter training center to warm up. It costs. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad In the last four weeks, the average price per kWh has been 366 øre in Hamar. A ten-minute shower then cost NOK 15. If you shorten the shower time to two minutes, this will cost just over three kroner. So around a quarter of the price. – It’s just a matter of it being one of many measures that you can be aware of in the joint effort. That is our goal with the call, says Vangen. It was Hamar Arbeiderblad that mentioned the call for the training center first. Positive response to the training center Janicke Kjønstad trains regularly at the training center in Hamar. She has received the invitation in the dressing room, and thinks it is perfectly fine. – I have long hair, so it might take two minutes. But at least I try. NO HAIR CURE: It is possible to shower in less than two minutes – if you are not going to have a hair cure, smiles Janicke Kjønstad. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad Friends Elias and Edvard have started thinking about the time they shower both at home and at training. They don’t always manage to follow the call in two minutes. – Not always, but I try to be as quick as possible. I have been recently because of the electricity prices, says Elias. – I usually spend about three minutes at home, and just as quickly here. I’m quite quick in the shower, says Edvard. QUICK: Friends Elias and Edvard think they are quite quick in the shower both at home and at the gym. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad – Is it tempting to shower longer at the fitness center than at home considering the price? – Yes, I must honestly admit that. It takes a little longer here than at home, say the boys. 13-year-old Edmund Bericha realizes that the fitness center has large expenses for electricity and water. He thinks it is good that everyone has to make an effort. He himself is aware of how long he showers, both there and at home. – Two to three minutes. Because it costs a lot to use water then. UNDERSTANDABLE: Anne Beate Løberg Bericha and her grandson Edmund (13) are very understanding that the fitness center asks them to shower as briefly as possible. Photo: Irmelin Kulbrandstad Time is almost up The reporter usually spends around 12 minutes in the shower. She now tries a two-minute shower. Now conditioner in the hair: Time is up. Two minutes have passed, and there was only time for shampoo and conditioner. But a lot of time and water is still saved. If she were to wash her body and face as well, it would probably have taken just under four minutes. So here is the time to save. A lot to save in the shower Vangen feels that the response to the call to be quick in the shower has been good. – I feel that it has been very positive. At least there have been no negative reactions. I think that the members do not see this as a big problem. She cannot control whether the members follow the call, but hopes and believes they do. – We hope that people will become a little more aware. Just as they are conscious when they shower at home, they can also be conscious when they shower here with us, says Vangen. EXPENSIVE: 4,000 square meters must be heated and several hundred members must shower every week. Photo: Marte Iren Noreng Trøen / news
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Training center in Hamar asks all members to shower for less than two minutes – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
