Thermostats, bicycles, windows: the government wants to make energy sobriety “long-term”

Aid for the purchase of thermostats, tougher rules to limit the lighting of windows and offices: the government is announcing this Thursday a series of new measures intended to make the energy savings undertaken last year "long-term". last one in the midst of soaring prices.

In an interview with several regional dailies, before a conference in Paris, the Minister of Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher did not set a new numerical reduction objective for this winter, but stressed the need to make sobriety “a habit". “We no longer have to ask ourselves the question!” she said. The government has calculated that gas and electricity consumption decreased by 12% between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023 compared to the same period of 2018-2019, before Covid. “My goal is for this decline to become structural at the end of 2024, and for us to go further,” she said in the interview. “The important thing is not to have a rebound effect” after the efforts of last winter, those around him told AFP, and “the challenge is to make the reduction sustainable.” ".

Sobriety is one of the four pillars that will enable France to have enough electricity to meet the new needs generated by the growing electrification of daily life and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But reducing the consumption of gas, electricity and fuel for the second winter in a row promises to be difficult due to a lack of anticipation of investments, underline officials and supply observers.

In detail, after the efforts required of CAC40 companies to adopt a sobriety plan, organize teleworking strategically and promote the speed of their employees on the road to 110 km/h, the government wants to expand this winter the mobilization to the 120 largest companies. “It’s a question of commitment, of exemplary behavior of the actors and not an obligation,” says the office of Agnès Pannier Runacher.

For individuals, aid should encourage them to equip themselves with programmable thermostats, equipment which costs “between 650 and 1000 euros per unit” (for a connected thermostat and three or four dimmers for radiators), recalls the minister, but which allows you to reduce consumption by 15% and the purchase and installation of which will be helped by up to 80%. “I asked DIY brands to make turnkey offers for households,” she says, who recalls in passing that the finance bill, soon to be debated in Parliament, will also provide more substantial aid to renovation of housing.

Finally, energy suppliers are committed to rewarding sobriety, like the challenges and gifts offered by EDF and Engie.

Also read: 2022, the year the French were asked to convert to “energy sobriety”

According to RTE, the company which manages the electricity network and carried out a major survey in the spring, the lack of knowledge of the temperature of homes remains “significant”. A growing proportion of French people reported heating at 19°C or less, making it possible to reach 50% of the population respecting the heating instructions. Customers who shift their usage but also those who agree to lower their heating may be rewarded. “The number of customers for EDF’s Tempo offer has doubled in one year,” says Agnès Pannier Runacher’s office.

For offices and stores, a decree is being prepared “to force shops and businesses to only turn on their windows one hour before the start of their activity and turn them off one hour after the end,” she announces. . A decree must also facilitate sanctions, with fines of 1,500 euros in the event of non-compliance. The project also aims to lower the light intensity of public lighting, which will be done after a consultation with local elected officials in order also “to preserve biodiversity”, specifies the office of Agnès Pannier Runacher.

For travel, an area in which sobriety proved difficult last winter despite high prices at the pump, two new measures have been announced for cycling. “From now on, employers will be able to cover their employees’ expenses related to the rental of private bicycles. And we are extending the tax reduction until December 31, 2027 for companies that make a fleet of company bicycles available to their employees,” said the minister. Bicycle rental from public operators is already affected by this system. All these measures will be supported by an advertising campaign which will start next week on the internet, followed by television and radio spots until February. To the triptych “I lower, I turn off, I shift”, the slogan “and I raise my foot” will be added.