Cooler pools and slower cars: this is how France prepares for winter

First modification: 06/10/2022 – 19:29

French President Emmanuel Macron has launched an €800 million national energy-saving plan that calls for turning off lights and lowering thermostats to avoid power and gas cuts during the winter.

Though the country is less reliant on Russian gas than its eastern neighbors like Germany, nuclear power output has slumped as the industry struggles to bring more aging reactors already idled for forced maintenance back online.

The goal is to reduce France’s energy consumption by 10% by 2024 from 2019 levels. Here are some of the key measures, which will be optional, but not mandatory:

Saving starts at home

Public administration buildings will cut off hot water in their bathrooms and the heating temperature will default to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius and one degree lower on days when the power grid is particularly strained.

Additionally, there will be additional financial compensation for officials who work from home to be able to close their offices. And there will be a premium of 100 euros per month for those who use a digital platform and do not use the vehicle to go to work.

The Executive also recommended public officials to travel by train instead of by plane for trips of less than four hours and asked them to reduce their maximum driving speed to 110 kilometers per hour when using cars provided by the Administration.

Cutting energy use in sports facilities such as heated pools, gyms and stadium lighting are other initiatives.

Companies do their part too

In a 16-point letter, the Macron government proposed to the private sector to encourage better use of energy resources and the appointment of a savings manager in each company.

The points include cutbacks in interior lighting, heating or cooling, and illuminated signs (which would be turned off later than one in the morning), as well as better organizing employee movements.

So far, 30 of France’s 40 largest companies have pledged to reduce energy use by turning off lights in buildings that are not in use and limiting heating and air conditioning.

As countries take individual measures, the European Parliament is also following suit: it will turn off the heating in its buildings three days a week and adjust its thermostats for other days, according to an internal email from the environmental management service reviewed by Reuters.

“Members and staff can always work in the buildings, but the temperature in the offices will be lowered on these days,” the letter said.

Parliament does not usually meet on Fridays, when many lawmakers travel back to their constituencies. On those days, the heating is reduced, but not turned off.

With Reuters, AP and EFE