Faced with the crisis, the energetic sobriety “choice”. A French euphemism for bear in solidarity collective restrictions to spend the winter without electricity and gas cuts in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.

The French state will lead by example and consumers should follow suit, but there is no penalty. The quote is “Collective responsibility” for now to be avoided darkening. To compensate for the energy crisis with ecological obligations, as required by the Paris Summit.

In the presence of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and her nine ministers, the government presented your non-coercive plan. A return to the years 1973 and 1979, a withstand the shock of oil. He wants “France to reduce energy consumption by 10 percent over the next two years”.

“The plan must allow us to consume less and consume regularly at the best time,” announced the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnes Pannier Runacher.

Measures

“Telework” recommended for avoid commuting and empty public buildings so that no energy is consumed.

There will be no hot water in public buildingsexcept for the showers, because it represents 10 per cent of consumption.

The speed of the vehicle will be limited. of the state at 100 and 110 kilometers per hour, among other exemplary measures.

heating it must not exceed 19 degrees in companies and restaurants and when there is no staff, it drops to 17 degrees.

Boutique and business owners are advised to close their windows when they close.

State exemplarity

The Government claims its “exemplarity” and has taken several measures in relation to the public service: the heating will be lowered from 19 to 18 degrees in the event of high voltage in the network, and working hours can be staggered. 19 degrees is the maximum temperature established everywhere, in public and in private.

The “teleworking” subsidy will also be increased by 15%. cover rising energy prices starting from the beginning of 2023.

The executive revealed its plan to achieve 10% energy savings this winter. And, as expected, it gives a privileged place for incentives.

sobriety bonus

To promote the sobriety of those who will allow themselves to warm up without counting this winter – energy poverty hit 5.6 million homes in France last year, according to a ministerial calculation -, the government wants to bet on a “sobriety bonus”which would reduce your bills.

Several energy companies have decided to offer a bonus to families who Limit your consumption of gas and electricity(like Engie or EDF, which will reduce prices during low-traffic periods and overload during peak demand periods).

Other incentive bonuses: “MaPrimeRenov ‘. Aid for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump in a single house can amount to € 9,000.

Help allows reduce connection costs to a collective network of up to 250 euros. 15,000 euros can be released for the installation of a pellet boiler at home and 9,000 euros for an air / water heat pump. At least 2,500 million in total will be invested in the system in 2023.

Municipal administrations have the task of reducing consumption Street lightingthe number of heated square meters and the temperature of the sports equipment, from the heating of the gyms to the swimming pools.

They will benefit from it a “green background” from 2023, endowed with 1,500 million euros, to guide the ecological transition.

You have to accompany them on theirs switch to LED lighting – one of the most recommended measures – or in its actions in terms of mobility, such as support for “Car pooling”. They will also receive aid for carrying out audits and public lighting projects or swimming pool renovations.

Regular consumption peaks

The government seeks to mitigate consumption peaks in companies, the public sector and consumers.

Recalling in a summary document of the measures that “reducing energy consumption is a long-term goal to achieve carbon neutrality and get out of our dependence on fossil fuels “, quotes Elisabeth Borne RTE.

The network operator explains in its forecasts that a 40% reduction is needed in France fight global warming before 2050. Therefore, the sobriety plan must embody the first milestone. All without any real obligation, or almost, for companies or consumers.

Finally, the executive trusts the information: RTE will launch an “electric weather forecast” in the media.

In addition to global measures, such as limiting warming to 19 degrees, companies are not subject to precautionary measuresexcept for compliance with the decree published in October, which provides for the closure of shop doors when they have heating or air conditioning.

Encourage lighting optimizationheating of buildings and digital uses, which represent 21% of consumption.

At their level, various industries open to the public have opted for actions that affect them: commerce, hotels, congresses, theme parks, ski areas and spas. Saving water, heating and lighting is in the center of their respective plans.

Telework to save energy

The state must be exemplary. It is up to the administration to “lead by example”, apply “credible measures” in the eyes of the French, in the words of the cabinet of Stanislas Guérini, Minister of Transformation and Public Administration.

Faced with teleworking, “the idea is strongly encourage their usein order, on the one hand, to save on travel and, on the other, to optimize the use of buildingsprovided that everything is well organized, ”explained a government adviser.

This was announced by the Ministry of Public Administration a 15% increase in fees for “teleworking” of agents, which is exactly the increase in gas and electricity prices at the beginning of 2023.

This compensation is today € 2.50 per day. This would raise it to around € 2.88. The idea is that even private companies can offer similar devices for don’t put the burden of excess energy on your employees.

Nor is it about lowering economic activity. This sobriety will be achieved maintaining the same level of activity. If this sobriety plan fails, the government will adopt restrictive measuresincluding specific gas or electricity outages.

Farmers and industrialists

A common warning cry. This Thursday, the federations of farmers (FNSEA, Coopération Agricole), of agri-food industries (ADEPALE, ANIA, ILEC, FEEF), of supermarkets (Perifem) have spoken out with a single voice to launch an “appeal for help” in front of the “disproportionate increase in energy costs” for businesses, as the government unveiled its sobriety plan on the same day.

The food industry as a whole estimates that, in the absence of significant measures to counter this increase, ‘there could be production interruptions, with employment consequences. The cost of the average French basket could increase considerably ”,“ which causes households to support part of the increase in energy ”.

Therefore, professionals are asking the government that, “beyond the establishment of a sobriety approach for companies and consumers”, it goes “beyond”. Ask “a price limit on gas used for the production of electricity “, and that” the volume of Arenh “, or” access to alternative suppliers at regulated prices for historic nuclear electricity “, remains in 2023” at the same level as in 2022, that is to 120 TWh “.

“If neither of the two requested measures is possible”, (these must be endorsed at the European level), the sector asks the French government to establish “a regulated emergency tariff accessible to all businesses “, not only small and medium-sized ones”, while the crisis lasts “and at a level” equal to the weighted average of electricity production costs in France “.

FNSEA Media President Christiane Lambert spoke Thursday of an “absolute emergency” for the food industry, citing agricultural production costs rising more than 26% in one year.

Paris, correspondent

ap