The sign of first efforts? Electricity consumption in France fell by 7.6% last week compared to the average for previous years (2014-2019), and by 6.8% over the last four weeks, RTE announced on Wednesday. the operator of the electricity transmission network in France.
“Compared to the previous update, the downward effect is accentuated”, explains RTE, specifying that this drop is “essentially driven by industry, in a context of rising electricity prices”. This means that this decline is not mainly due to a reduction in household consumption, but rather that of businesses to save money.
The temperatures recorded in October, the hottest ever recorded in Europe, also contributed to reducing “electricity needs for heating in the tertiary and residential sectors”, adds the manager.
Presented on October 6, the government’s sobriety plan provides for a target of reducing energy consumption by 10% over the next two years compared to 2019 and by 40% by 2050.