France expected to promote home office work, carpooling to save energy

PARIS

France is expected to announce recommendations for energy conservation later Thursday, according to the Le Parisien newspaper.

Among measures expected to be announced are the encouragement of home office work and carpooling. Also, hot water in government offices will be turned off, said the newspaper.

The government's goal is to reduce energy consumption by 10% within two years. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne will speak from the Porte de Versailles exhibition center and will presumably call on the nation to save as much energy as possible with individual gestures.

It is expected that France will subsidize those who carpool with €100 ($114). Other measures could include reducing lighting at stadiums. The recommended heating temperature could also be limited to 19 degrees Celsius (66 F). Illuminated signs may be turned off between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time.

A commercial with the catchphrases: "I lower, I switch off, I shift," is aimed at raising awareness about energy-saving measures.

The 30-second advertisement that was obtained by Anadolu Agency, highlights five measures: heating at 19 degrees, hot water tanks at 55 degrees, installing a thermostat, washing clothes in off-peak hours and placing appliances in standby mode.

The highly-anticipated campaign comes at a time when the government has already issued a decree allowing electricity supplier, Enedis, to turn off hot water tanks of 4.3 million customers with Linky meters between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.