The French ready to make efforts to save energy. According to the Odoxa survey carried out after the France Bleu “Ma France” consultation on energy savings, 87% of French people are ready to reduce packaging, 84% lighting, 78% their water consumption or 76% heating.

A large part of them therefore validate, for example, the extinction of part of the public lighting. In Bordeaux, the town hall launched a plan in this direction since January 2 to reduce it by 57%. The Caudéran, Chartrons, Fondaudège, Bacalan, Bastide and Saint-Seurin districts are now plunged into darkness from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. This will save almost a million euros on a bill of 7.5 million euros (2021). As a reminder, the city has a total of 38,000 light points.

Objective 70% within a year?

A month later, it’s time to take stock. And according to Amine Smihi, the deputy mayor in charge of security and public tranquility, there is no negative feedback for the moment, in particular on a possible increase in insecurity: “We have daily monitoring and a process to alert us to the slightest subject that unfortunately goes out of the ordinary framework and in particular on the extinguishing sectors put in place. Today, and since January 2, we have had no alert of any kind was sent to us by the municipal police but also our other partners such as the national police. On the objective of 57% extinction of public lighting, close to 50% four weeks later according to the municipality.

A municipality that claims not to have directly received an alert from local residents: “We met the population recently at neighborhood meetings. Reservations and concerns were raised and we reassured the inhabitants of our seriousness and our method of vigilance and there too, we had no alerts from residents in link with this extinction of part of the public lighting”, adds Amine Smihi. If things continue to go well, the Bordeaux elected official does not rule out going further within six months by eventually switching off 70% of public lighting in Bordeaux. In the meantime, a first assessment will be made with all the players in the file in mid-February.