Air-conditioned shops will be ordered to close their doors or face fines, the French minister of energy transition announced Sunday.
The move to preserve energy, coupled with a measure aimed at restricting the use of illuminated signs overnight, comes amid a scalding heat wave that has wrought havoc on much of Europe, especially France, the United Kingdom, and the Iberian Peninsula, according to AFP.
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“In the coming days, I will issue two decrees: The first will widen the ban on illuminated advertising, whatever the size of the city, between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.,” with the exception of airports and train and metro stations, Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Air-conditioned shops that leave their doors open see “20% more consumption and … it’s absurd,” Pannier-Runacher told RMC radio.
Shop keepers risk fines of up to 750 euros, or $766, but the government stresses that it will emphasize education at the first violation.
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Although nuclear power provides 70% of France’s electricity needs, the crisis over Russian gas has prompted President Emmanuel Macron to call for an energy “sobriety program,” according to the Guardian. The European Union asked member states to reduce their gas use until the spring.
