Power cuts: no ironing, no series… Should we take inspiration from Switzerland?

Measures that vary depending on the country. The government is currently working on the various possible scenarios in the event of too high tensions on the electricity network this winter. In its forecasts, RTE expects six EcoWatt red days during the month of January, during which the French will have to adapt their electricity consumption, so as not to risk localized and organized cuts, also called rotating load shedding.

Since the end of the summer, the executive has multiplied prevention messages, inviting individuals to adopt new actions at home in order to limit their electricity consumption. Prioritize off-peak hours, do not run your devices for too long, completely switch off those that remain on standby… Common sense advice, but which can make the difference on EcoWatt red days. While these recommendations apply to France, some of our neighbors are also considering various measures to limit energy consumption.

This is particularly the case of Switzerland, explains Ouest-France. The Federal Council of the country – the executive body of the Confederation – has drawn up a list of all the restrictions envisaged, according to several levels depending on the voltage of the network. If this list also has something to smile about – because no detail seems to have been forgotten – it is nevertheless essential in this country which only produces a quarter of the electricity consumed there. Ouest-France specifies that, initially, “the Swiss will first be alerted and asked to ease off on their consumption”. If the drop is not significant enough, then other measures, prohibitions and restrictions, will apply.

These measures go further than the French recommendations, but they agree on certain points. Could the executive take inspiration from Switzerland for the days when the tension will be the strongest?