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Energy: Temperance is the Order of the Day

To avoid any paralysis of the electricity network, Monégasque individuals and companies are called
upon to reduce their consumption.

A winter marked by untimely power cuts This is the scenario Lights-out time
everyone has feared with the war in Ukraine fuelling the energy To promote energy consumption temperance, the state has decided
crisis. To counter any blackout, the Mon gasque Electricity and to lead by example. As part of the government’s Energy Management
Gas Company (SMEG) has concocted a selective power cut plan, Plan, presented in mid- ovember 2022, the administration must
validated by the government in early December 2022. respect a heating temperature limited to 19 degrees, with a tolerance
To avoid occasional cuts in a country which consumes approximately of two degrees in public buildings, with the exception of the Princess
500 gigawatt hours each year according to the SMEG, the population Grace ospital and schools. The lighting of public buildings and
is thus called upon to reduce energy expenditure, particularly in bus shelters has also been turned off at 10 pm. Shops have been
time slots when the level of consumption is highest (from 8 am encouraged to turn off their signs from 11 pm.
to 1 pm and between 6 pm and 8 pm in winter and on weekdays). Symbolically, the traditional ice rink in the Port ercule has been
Should this voluntary reduction not be enough, the SMEG could replaced by a roller skating rink, as has the ice path in Casino
then proceed with a reduction in voltage of at least 5% of the entire Square. “ abits must be established now, because it is in summer
electrical network, to avoid a build-up. In the event of a critical that the peaks in energy consumption are strongest, thanks to air
scenario, “very localised cuts during slots of a maximum of two conditioning,” remarked C line Caron-Dagioni, who calls on each
hours at very precise times and announced in advance,” decided in citizen to adopt the right eco-gestures, in particular using public
coordination with the government, are indeed envisaged, sparing transport, switching off appliances on standby (representing 10%
the medical sector and the services essential to the functioning of of household electricity consumption) and installing low-energy
the state, including schools. equipment for the most energy-intensive daily uses - EDs, refrigerated
To adapt, everyone can observe the state of energy tension in cabinets with doors (for shops), F-certified inertia radiators, high-
Monaco almost live, thanks to the Electricity Weather Forecast, performance windows and so on.
published on the website www.smeg.mc. Three colours (Green, To support households and businesses financially as they equip
Orange and Red) indicate the state of energy tension in Monaco. It themselves, the government has also reactivated an aid scheme
is, obviously, in the event of Red Weather that selective power cuts for the purchase of small equipment, created as part of the post-
would be implemented. Covid Economic Recovery Plan and piloted by the Mission for the
A mild winter and the restarting of previously shut-down nuclear Energy Transition, capped at €3,000. The installation of collective
reactors in France reduced the risk of power cuts in December heat pumps to replace boiler rooms also benefits from a subsidy
2022. It remains to be seen whether the electricity network can be of 30% of the price of the equipment and the execution studies.
maintained until the end of winter. “It’s more the month of anuary
when we fear a tension, with four days in Red,” Sylvain Didierjean,
Electricity and Gas Director of SMEG told France 3 TV in December.

Tariff shield for 2023

The main measure of the government plan is undoubtedly the
tariff shield applied since 1 anuary 2023 for one year, in order
to reduce the energy bills of individuals and businesses in
Monaco. In the absence of a tariff shield, the increase in the
electricity tariff would be an average of + 75% for individuals
and + 90% for large companies,» the Minister of State, Pierre
Dartout emphasised.

Different rates are in effect: 15% for individuals and small
businesses (Blue Tariff); up to 35% for medium and large
© Depositphotos/xuanhuongho public consumers (Green Tariff). This tariff shield represents an
businesses ( ellow Tariff); and 45% for the largest private and

envelope of €30 million for the Mon gasque state.

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