In the offices of the Loiret departmental council, it is chilly in the morning. “You can have 13 or 14 degrees when you arrive, and during the day it warms up a bit. It’s not Siberia, but the agents come with their plaid. We’re going to try to last as long as possible without turning on the heating, maybe until October 15! »
President Marc Gaudet sets the tone: this winter, sobriety will take precedence in the buildings belonging to the department. The thermostat will be set to 19, except at the Children’s Home, and personal auxiliary devices will be prohibited. From 6 p.m., the temperature will drop by 3 degrees, and by 7 degrees at weekends and during school vacations.
Thermal Strainer Hunt
The computers are off from 6 p.m., we will wash our hands with cold water, and the lighting of the castles of Sully-sur-Loire or Gien will go out at 11 p.m. On the travel side, agents will be encouraged to borrow the electric bicycles made available to them, to limit the gas bill.
The department will also intensify the hunt for thermal colanders. Its most energy-intensive building, in Orléans-La Source, consumes ten times more per m2 than the most recent college, completed in 2021. The choice was therefore made to sell it and house the staff in new, more economical premises, by 2024… The headquarters of the county council in Orléans is one of its five most energy-intensive buildings. It will be renovated to reduce consumption by 40%.
The objective is to reduce energy consumption by 5% in volume next year, and to contain the increase in expenditure to 10%, whereas we are already at a 20 or 30% increase this year. And these good habits should continue. “It’s a warning shot, but it will be long term,” adds the president of the department. “Even if there are fewer constraints next year, it’s a fundamental approach. We have to adapt. »