Three months before the end-of-year celebrations, the municipalities are beginning to look into the question of decorations. Faced with soaring energy prices, some will reduce or even eliminate Christmas lights.
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The electricity bill has been multiplied by five in Rombas (Moselle). It has increased from 100,000 to 500,000 euros in 2022. The Christmas lights alone represent an expense of 100,000 euros for this municipality of 10,000 inhabitants. Saint-Nicolas, very celebrated in the east of France, will ring well, Tuesday, December 6, the beginning of the festivities of the month but in this context of energy crisis, the municipality has decided to reduce the airfoil to save money.
Many light decorations will not be installed. “Usually we had about 600 light patterns, explains Lionel Fournier, the PS mayor of Rombas.This year, we are going to keep 80 of them. We are going to put LED bulbs on the trees because they consume much less energy than other lights.”. Only the Town Hall and the perimeter of the schools will be lit by elves. “It was one of the most ornate towns around and it was awesome. But not putting more or putting less lights is the right decision because we all have to make an effort”, reacts Thierry Bourson, the president of the association of traders. “In the end, it will be up to us, the inhabitants, to pay the electricity bill”he adds.
Marion knows that the Christmas lights make her two daughters dream but the Rombasienne will explain to them “qYou have to be careful, it’s to save the planet and they’ll understand”.
Some decisions are even more radical. The municipality of La Roche-Jaudy, a Breton town of around 2000 inhabitants has decided to purely and simply remove the illuminations. Jean-Paul Even, the mayor, indicates that this measure will save 30,000 euros. The city councilor also intends to take advantage of this radical sobriety to “rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas. We were forced to see illuminations, illuminated windows, he said. We almost have to buy 10,000 presents. Some suffer Christmas. Christmas must really become a party where we find ourselves in a little more simplicity and perhaps more conviviality..” Instead of Christmas lights, school children will produce giant drawings to illuminate the city in their own way.
Energy crisis: municipalities decide to limit or even remove Christmas decorations – report by Alain Gastal
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