Understanding energy efficiency

The energy efficiency plan

Since the start of the new school year in September, energy efficiency has been on everyone's lips. However, the notion of energy sobriety is not new: following its inclusion in the law on energy transition, it was popularized in 2015 in France. Today, more than ever, it is at the heart of the news.

Caused in 2021 by the strong global economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic-related recession of 2020, then amplified in March 2022 by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis has reached its climax in just a few months. A global shortage now threatens our daily lives. So what is the energy sobriety plan?

In a nutshell, it's all about reducing your company's energy consumption and environmental impact, in a sustainable and responsible way.

For the government, reducing energy consumption is a lever for avoiding blackouts and shortages this winter, against a backdrop of energy crisis. In the longer term, it is also a key factor in achieving carbon neutrality and combating climate change. The aim is threefold: to reduce energy consumption (by 10%) within the next two years, to tackle the energy crisis and to achieve carbon neutrality (by 2050).

How can we achieve energy sobriety?

We're well aware that there's no such thing as 0 consumption. So, collectively, our aim is to put in place measures to move towards greater sobriety.

Back to high school: in mathematical analysis, the notion of limit describes the approximation of the values of a sequence as the index tends towards infinity. Well, energy sobriety is the same thing! You won't be able to achieve 0 energy consumption, but there are a number of measures you can take, such as renovating buildings, rethinking spaces or choosing the right heating equipment.

But that's not all: as you know, at OuiLive we're all about mobilizing your employees, convinced that raising awareness and getting your human resources to take action are the most effective ways of boosting your company's positive impact.

Eco-gestures to adopt

Anyone who wants to can contribute to energy efficiency - and should! There are no small gestures to save the planet, and there are no small gestures to save energy either. All we need is the will to change our habits and to realize that everyone has a role to play!

By switching off your appliances rather than putting them on standby, or swapping your filament bulbs for LED bulbs, you're already taking a big step forward! But that's not all: close the shutters and curtains at night to keep the heat in, turn off the lights when you leave the room, bleed the radiators, etc...

To find out more about energy saving click here.

Businesses: limit your energy consumption

Raising awareness among your employeesis also about influencing the individuals they are. That's why it's not just individuals who are in the spotlight when we talk about energy sobriety - no pun intended, of course!

The energy sobriety plan presented by the government includes 15 key measures to which companies have committed themselves. The action plan has been adopted by employers' organizations, trade unions and all professional federations. As you can see, it's time for a collective commitment! Over the past few months, every company has been invited to draw up its own energy-saving plan. But what does this mean?

Changes in the company

73% of employees would like their company to offer concrete ways of getting involved. Empowering employees by adopting energy-saving measures could be a good start! And there are plenty of tips to encourage your teams to consume less energy:

Promoting teleworking and green organizing
Lower heating in offices
Implement energy-efficient technical solutions
Consolidating travel
And many other energy-saving solutions you can find here

Top 3 good ideas already implemented by companies

Companies can be divided into two categories: the studious and the restless. Here are our top 3 companies that have opted for the low-energy plan rather than being subjected to it:

Starting in 2020, La Poste Group has implemented its own plan to reduce GHG emissions by 10%. To achieve this, La Poste Immo and its subsidiary Sobre Énergie are mobilizing to deploy an energy management system across the entire postal estate.
On October 4, Crédit Agricole joined forces with Make.org to launch the "Urgence Sobriété Énergétique" cause.Urgence Sobriété Énergétique"alongside ten institutions and companies. Following a wide-ranging citizen consultation, the collective proposed concrete solutions to rapidly reduce energy consumption and move society as a whole towards sustainable sobriety.
Both TF1 and France Télévisions have announced partnerships with RTE (Réseau de transport d'électricité), the French electricity grid operator. The two broadcasting groups are committed to informing viewers when the country is facing periods of high tension on the power grid, and to broadcasting EcoWatt alerts, the "Bison futé" of electricity consumption, notably during weather bulletins.

OuiLive presents THE ultimate solution to help you achieve energy efficiency. Take advantage of the benefits of gamification to get your message across to your teams, and encourage them to take action! At OuiLive, we're committed to energy efficiency, and we're here to help you achieve it!

It's clear that major changes are in store and expected by businesses. Find out more about our "Energy efficiency first" Challenge. Our aim? To show companies how to apply these measures in their day-to-day operations, both at company level and at the level of individual employees, in 4 stages:

Spotlight on the energy transition
Digital pollution: just a click away
Eco-gestures in the workplace
Taking it easy at the office

How about getting your employees involved in a Connected Challenge to raise awareness and take action? Contact us here.