in buildings, the fear of elevator breakdowns or fires caused by candles

The power cuts which could occur this winter, in the event of significant tensions on the electricity network, will have consequences for the French stranded in transport or plunged into darkness on the public highway. They will also carry some risks for households surprised at home by these load shedding measures.

The ministry responsible for housing has in fact identified two main areas of concern. First, the elevators, the challenge being that no one finds themselves stuck there during the scheduled power cuts, which should last two hours. Discussions were therefore initiated with elevator manufacturers, but they demonstrated “that it was complicated to be able to deactivate all the elevators”. A national communication campaign, to warn citizens against breakdowns, will therefore constitute the main lever for avoiding incidents. “The message will be that the French, warned the day before by the EcoWatt platform of a risk of power cuts, avoid using the elevators”says one to the ministry.

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Information on power cuts will also circulate through the media, and the French will be able to provide their address on the EcoWatt application and site, to find out if they live in a neighborhood likely to be offloaded. Building caretakers should also be mobilized to block access to elevators with posters or ribbons. “In HLM residences, we will call on our groups of tenants to inform the most vulnerable people and help them if necessary”says Guillaume Aichelmann, project manager for social housing at the consumer association CLCV.

Avoid the “blackout”

“There are other points of vigilance: power outages in stairwells and corridors that do not benefit from natural light, and cuts that will affect the boosters and no longer allow the delivery of water in the upper floorscompletes Alban Charrier, deputy project management director at the Union sociale de l’habitat, which federates the 600 HLM organizations in France. There will be other, lesser inconveniences, such as intercom failures and electric-latched hall doors snapping open. »

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The second area of ​​concern for the Department of Housing is the use of candles during blackouts, leading to increased fire hazards. “We must avoid over-accidents, warns an adviser. The cuts being planned for a limited time, it will be recommended to use the light of your smartphone rather than candles. »

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