This is one of the tools that should make it possible to avoid a power outage this winter.
Ecowatt, acclaimed by the government and developed by RTE, in partnership with Enedis and the agency for the environment and energy management (Ademe), should be used to convince individuals, businesses and communities to adopt eco-gestures in case of tension.
It must become a must in the daily life of the French, called to energy sobriety, in the weeks to come.
While RTE, the electricity network manager, predicts that it will take
"reduce national consumption by 1 to 5% in the majority of cases, and up to 15% in the most extreme weather situations" to avoid any risk of power cuts.
Ecowatt, what is it?
It is neither more nor less than the “weather of electricity”, summarizes one at RTE.
Launched in 2008 in Brittany then in 2010 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the system was extended to the entire metropolitan territory in 2020 by RTE.
The www.monecowatt.fr website aims to raise the awareness of individuals, businesses and communities about electricity consumption on a national scale.
At the same time, actions to reduce energy expenditure are presented.
The electricity network manager recommends, for example, to avoid starting your washing machine between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., to limit the use of the oven in favor of hotplates, not to leave your Internet box and computer on standby or again to turn off the lights that are not in use.
How it works ?
Every day, Ecowatt predicts the level of electricity consumption of the French people, the available production and import capacity.
The site then presents, like the weather, a map of France, in real time and with three-day forecasts, with different color codes: green for reasonable consumption, orange for high consumption and red for very high consumption "with a risk of power failure.
In the event of voltage on the electrical system, alerts are sent so that everyone reduces their energy consumption and avoids a power outage.
How to be alerted?
It is necessary to register directly on the website.
This possibility was unavailable on Monday due to a "technical update".
When the device works, after registration, you are notified, in real time, by SMS or e-mail.
On the other hand, do not expect to be able to take a look at the notifications directly on your smartphone.
There is currently no mobile app.
RTE says it is “under development”: “We want it to be ready as soon as possible.
The objective is to have it in service for this winter.
RTE has put the éCO2mix application into service, which only allows you to monitor your consumption and that in France in real time, as can be done with the EDF or Enedis apps.
How many people are registered?
RTE claims 115,000 subscribers, a figure "up sharply" since government communications.
The Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, and the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, among others, have alternately cited Ecowatt in various speeches in recent days.
This Thursday, RTE will also announce the signing of partnerships with forty public and private companies, hoping to increase the number of followers of Ecowatt.
The RATP, the SNCF or even Carrefour will be included.
“They will have to make their employees aware of the use of our tool and/or their customers,” says the manager of the electricity network.
They are also committed to carrying out acts of good citizenship, such as turning down the heating or reducing energy consumption during peak hours.
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