French cities have reduced their consumption linked to public lighting by 20% at the end of 2022.
The messages encouraging the French to limit their electricity consumption have clearly borne fruit.
A decrease in general consumption
At the end of the summer, the public authorities alerted the population to the risks of power cuts during the winter. A large part of the national nuclear fleet is now shut down, the fault of maintenance and corrosion problems, not to mention the delays in these various operations.
To avoid load shedding on very cold days, the authorities and energy companies have urged the French to lower their consumption. It is clear that the message was heard with a general decline of around 10% among households and businesses.
Enedis also welcomes in a press release the efforts undertaken by the municipalities, which have also played the game by reducing their consumption.
Municipalities cut the light, facing skyrocketing energy bills
French towns have in fact reduced their energy expenditure for public lighting by 20% on average by night heart “, i.e. between midnight and 4 a.m. during the first fifteen days of December 2022. This is the largest historical drop measured. La Creuse is for its part the department where the drop has been the most significant.
The power supply for streetlights corresponds to 40% of their annual consumption. Limiting streetlights on at night or cutting them off in the smallest towns therefore has a real impact on the country’s total consumption.
Enedis also recalls that with 11 million street lamps and other lighting systems, the total consumption of cities for their lighting represents 1,300 megawatts, i.e. the power supplied by a nuclear reactor.
The cities have also opted for several other measures, such as limiting the lighting period for Christmas decorations. Faced with a very significant increase in their energy bills, mayors today must save money to avoid negative repercussions on other public services.
RTE has updated its forecasts for the month of January and rules out the risk of power cuts this winter, if the French, businesses and communities continue their efforts and continue to save power.
Source : Enedis
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