The Minister for Energy Transition announced, in the Sunday newspaperupcoming decrees to force air-conditioned stores to close and reduce illuminated advertising.
On July 14, Emmanuel Macron announced a “plan ofsobrietyenergy strategy, the aim of which is to reduce our energy consumption by 10% compared to 2019, by 2024. The first outlines of its implementation are emerging. “In the next few days, I will issue two decrees: the first generalizes the ban on illuminated advertisements regardless of the size of the city between one and six o’clock in the morning, with rare exceptions such as train stations and airports; and the second prohibits stores from having their doors open while the air conditioning or heating is on. Full air conditioning with the door open is no longer acceptable!“, announced Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition, in the Sunday newspaper .
Companies that do not comply with these rules may incur up to 750 euros for open doors and 1,500 euros for illuminated signs, even if the government initially relies on information. Leave the doors open,it’s 20% more consumption and (…) it’s absurd“, justified Agnès Pannier-Runacher, this Sunday on RMC. Some cities such as Paris, Lyon or Bourg-en-Bresse have already decided themselves to prohibit stores from having their doors open while the air conditioning is working.
“Applicable from now on”
As for illuminated advertising, the current regulations distinguish agglomerations of more or less 800,000 inhabitants. It is prohibited between one and six o’clock in the morning in France in those with less than 800,000 inhabitants. In more populated ones, the rules depend on the local advertising regulations (RLP), if there is one. The current law already obliges to turn off illuminated signs and store windows from one o’clock in the morning. The ministry could not specify on Sunday the content of the next decree, but explains that it will aim to “harmonize the rules”, without specifying the number of agglomerations today covered by an RLP or how the controls and sanctions – up to 1500 euros – will be implemented. “The contours will be specifiedwhen the decree comes out. “The idea is really that it is applicable now“added the ministry.
To move forward with the implementation of thesobriety planfive working groups have been created, each dedicated to a sector: public administrations, businesses, establishments open to the public and supermarkets, housing and local authorities. The results of their consultations, and the resulting proposed measures, are to be announced at the end of September. The supermarkets have already agreed on a plan toenergy sobriety» which should be deployed in the fall, with the extinction of the signs as soon as it closes, the reduction of lighting or even a drop in temperature.
The case of manufacturers seems to be treated differently. “It is one of the few sectors that have been optimizing their energy consumption for a very long time because it is an essential factor of competitiveness, even survival. We are not going to ask those who have already been saving energy for several years to make the same effort as public or tertiary activities for which this item of expenditure was secondary and neglected. The challenge is also to protect our production chains and therefore our sovereignty.“says Agnès Pannier-Runacher. In the event of tension on the network this winter and potential load shedding, the Minister for Energy Transition has asked manufacturers to inform her of their potential vulnerabilities to avoid any risk of industrial failure. A census of generators has also been launched.
Read alsoAre individuals at risk of power cuts this winter?
Finally, for the French, Agnès Pannier-Runacher assures us: “I will never ask those in fuel poverty to try harder“, while adding that it is necessary that the French are better informed of their consumption by the energy companies and to bring up to date the tariffs encouraging sobriety. In the fall, a communication campaign to this effect will be implemented.
A point will also be made at the start of the school year by the government and the managers of the electricity and gas network in order to precisely monitor the risks of power cuts for individuals and “provide clear and transparent information to French people“.
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