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Energy sobriety: traders divided in the face of the efforts required

2022-07-25T17:49:02.036Z


In Paris, most of the professionals interviewed recognize the usefulness of sobriety measures, but some do not hide their concern.


750 euros in the event of open doors with the air conditioning activated or 1500 euros in the event of signs left on at night;

this is what awaits traders with the two new decrees announced on Sunday by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition, in the JDD.

Decisions taken within the framework of the “

energy sobriety plan

”, unveiled by Emmanuel Macron on July 14 and which aims to reduce energy consumption by 10% compared to 2019, by 2024.

Read alsoAgnès Pannier-Runacher: on gas and electricity, "

we must put ourselves in the worst case scenario because it exists

"

The decrees will modify the way in which professionals manage their illuminated advertising, on the one hand, and their air conditioning or heating, on the other.

When questioned, the main interested parties say, for the most part, they understand the measures desired by the executive in order to reduce tricolor energy consumption.

"

It's a very good thing

", reacts a saleswoman from a Parisian boutique Antonella, about the decree on air conditioning.

On this Monday morning, Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, most stores already have their doors open and are waiting for customers.

This one is no exception but does not have “

the air conditioning on

”, assures the saleswoman.

"

As soon as we have the door open, we turn off the air conditioning.

The same goes for the lights in the evening, we turn them off systematically, it saves us money

,

she explains.

A few meters further, in a similar clothing store, the analysis differs: “

The customers of the district respect the schedules a lot, if they see the door closed, they will probably not come.

I think that my managers will not agree with these new decrees

”, explains the saleswoman, pointing to the wide open door from which comes the current of fresh air caused by the ambient air conditioning.

It's a false excuse this story of customers

”, annoys the saleswoman of Antonella: “

We have no worries, even when the door is closed.

For example, last week, with the heat wave, I closed the door and my turnover remained very good.

People know the schedules

, ”she adds.

There is also doubt on the side of restaurateurs, as with the manager of the restaurant Eat Kookie: “

It is true that opening the door attracts customers even if, we recognize, there is a waste of energy

” .

Same speech from the side of a competitor from a neighboring street: “

For the moment it is an obligation to leave the door open, like that, there is no hesitation on the part of the customer.

He sees the door open, he knows it's open

.

However, the two brands will apply the law, if the rules are actually reinforced.

For me, the real problem still comes from the big groups.

For once, it's stupid what they do.

We don't have the same means

,” adds the manager of Eat Kookie.

Read alsoMass distribution is committed to energy sobriety

Precisely, at the end of the boulevard Haussmann, several major signs have the door open and the windows lit, even in broad daylight.

However, in a cosmetics store, the majority of entrances are closed.

The fruit of instructions sent internally, we report within the store: “

We received a stop which encourages us to close everything if we start the air conditioning.

The brand takes these announcements very well.

In addition, we are Boulevard Haussmann, customers know when it is open or not

.

These divergent points of view are representative of the difficulties encountered by the authorities in enforcing the rules in force and convincing professionals of the merits of the efforts to be made in terms of energy sobriety.

The gains are not negligible, however pleads the Ministry of Energy Transition: “

If all businesses close their doors during the winter heating season, it is the annual energy consumption of more than 12,000 households (almost 25,000 French people) that is saved

”, figures the entourage of Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

Hesitations about not lighting windows at night

Several traders are also worried about increased monitoring of the obligation to turn off the windows at night: in theory, store lights should not work between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. throughout the national territory, recalls the Ministry of the Interior.

But controls are lacking, and many professionals ignore this obligation.

In a local grocery store, for example, it is believed that leaving the bottles and jars lit up at night allows these objects to be showcased: “

It's true that we leave the products lit up at night, but only at window level.

It's marketing, it illuminates them, they are put forward

, ”we plead.

And this, even if we see them “

pretty well

” without this lighting, recognizes the saleswoman.

We already did it five years ago, turning off the windows at night, and then we started doing it again, to enhance our clothes

,” recalls a saleswoman from a nearby textile shop.

And for good reason, the texts relating to light pollution date from several years ago.

Here again, the government, which will strengthen the rules on the extinction of illuminated signs, nevertheless sees a significant source of savings: "

turning off illuminated signs between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. means saving the equivalent of the consumption average annual electricity supply of 110,000 homes

, ”advances the cabinet of Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

If the executive decides to tighten the screw and strengthen controls, a saleswoman expects her shop to turn off its windows: "

after all, it's just a button to turn

," she concludes.

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2022-07-25

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