What are European countries doing to cut power consumption?

theguardian.com:

Paris is switching off the Eiffel Tower lights an hour early, Milan has turned off public fountains, and Hanover is offering gym users cold rather than hot showers in an effort to combat potential energy shortages this winter.

At the same time, the public are being encouraged to do their bit by avoiding using household appliances between 4pm and 7pm, stock up on blankets and slow down their driving.

One global retail chain is encouraging staff to change their behaviours: to use stairs instead of lifts, to use energy-saving apps at home, and unplug devices rather than leaving them on standby.

The UK, by contrast, has blocked a £15m campaign encouraging the public to conserve energy, with the government arguing that the country is “not a nanny state”.

But across Europe, governments and municipal authorities have responded to calls to reduce power consumption and reach an EU target of shaving 15% off energy consumption by next March.

All member states are reducing heating in public buildings by one degree to 19C, but some have gone further.

The Eiffel Tower lights are being turned off more than an hour early, shaving 4% off energy costs as the city responds to the government call to reduce fuel usage.

The government has also launched a major communication campaign, “Every gesture counts”, encouraging individuals and industry to do their bit.

Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, which owns more than 500 stores including brands such as Christian Dior, Givenchy and Tiffany, and supermarket chains LeClerc and Carrefour are turning the lights off in their shops three hours early.

Workers are also being encouraged into “new energy consumption behaviours” such as using stairs instead of lifts, not using printers, and unplugging computers and