Energy sobriety

What is energy sobriety?

Definition

Energy sobriety is an essential concept in the ecological transition towards a sustainable future. This approach aims to reduce our energy consumption significantly by adopting measures to minimise energy demand, whether in the electricity, gas, water, heating, mobility, digital, audiovisual industry, etc. sector.

The Negawatt association has identified three sobrieties in terms of energy:

• Dimensional sobriety involves using electrical equipment suited to its purpose. For example, opt for walking or cycling instead of driving for journeys of less than a kilometre.
• Usage sobriety consists of using equipment in a judicious and conscious manner. For example, turn off the ventilation or beverage dispensers in offices when they do not need to be in service.
• Cooperative sobriety encourages the shared use of equipment, for example, use online carpooling services or use your own network of contacts.

Energy sobriety plays an important role in the ecological transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. It contributes to the preservation of resources, the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and the creation of a more ecological and balanced world with renewable energies.

Some measures to save energy

Energy sobriety involves the implementation of plans and measures aimed at promoting a more efficient use of energy at home or in the workplace. Today, many solutions exist to reduce our energy footprint, such as:

• Lowering the heating temperature in winter by one to two degrees, and conversely, avoiding over-air conditioning in the summer during hot weather.
• Using natural light as much as possible and opting for more economical lighting with LED bulbs.
• Limiting the sending of emails only when necessary. Emails are reportedly responsible for 0.3% of global emissions, according to researcher and writer Mike Berners-Lee.
• Turning off electrical appliances when they are not in use. ADEME (the ecological transition agency) indicated in a study that appliances on standby cost households at least €80 per year.

A positive impact on the economy and ecology

Energy sobriety is not only beneficial for the environment, it can have a positive impact on the economy. By reducing energy consumption, French people and businesses can achieve significant savings on their energy costs.

In addition to making some savings, you are contributing to the preservation of resources and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently to the fight against climate change.

The role of government and companies

The government plays a key role in promoting energy sobriety by implementing policies and incentives to encourage businesses and individuals to adopt more responsible energy practices. In fact, in July 2022, the government introduced a sobriety plan for France for greater efficiency. The objective is to reduce the country's energy consumption by 10% compared to 2019.

Businesses, for their part, can implement energy sobriety strategies to reduce their ecological footprint while improving their profitability. In particular, they can carry out work to consume less and at the same time offer a better quality of life to their employees. ADEME offers a page of 99 schemes to support the ecological and energy transition to financially support companies in the renovation of their buildings.

In summary

In summary, energy sobriety is an approach aimed at reducing energy consumption and production through effective and sustainable measures, with both economic and ecological benefits for businesses and society as a whole.

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