The leaders of the three French energy companies TotalEnergies, EDF and Engie call together on Sunday the French to reduce “immediately” their consumption of fuel, oil, electricity and gas in the face of the risk of shortages and soaring prices which threaten “social cohesion” next winter.
A winter to come under high tension. Energy leaders in France are calling on the entire population to make a collective effort to immediately reduce their energy consumption, the only way to avoid a shortage of gas, electricity and oil next winter.
“The effort must be immediate, collective and massive. Every gesture counts”, indicate in a rare joint forum published by the Journal du Dimanche, Patrick Pouyanné (TotalEnergies), Jean-Bernard Levy (EDF) and Catherine MacGregor (Engie), while France, like the rest of Europe , is trying to fill its gas reserves for next winter, with a French target of 100% storage filled by early autumn, despite the drop in Russian gas deliveries.
A threat to social cohesion
To the difficulties of gas supply linked to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, are added “tensions” on the controllable electricity production capacity in Europe, and a hydraulic production “amputated” due to the drought, they explain.
“The soaring energy prices resulting from these difficulties threaten our social and political cohesion and have a too heavy impact on the purchasing power of families” note the authors of the text.
For a “major energy efficiency program”
“The best energy remains that which we do not consume” underline the three leaders who call for “awareness and collective and individual action so that each of us – each consumer, each company – changes our behavior and limits immediately its consumption of energy, electricity, gas and petroleum products.
They want the launch of a “major energy efficiency program” and a “national waste hunt”.
“Acting this summer will allow us to be better prepared to tackle next winter and in particular to preserve our gas reserves”, believe the three leaders.
“Responsible industrial players, our three groups are committed to actively collaborating” indicate the bosses, usually rather in competition on the subjects of energy transition, in particular which see massive but not always coordinated investments flourish in renewable energies, nuclear and hydrogen in particular.