Saving energy while electrifying the country: a major societal "challenge", according to RTE

During the summer of 2022 and in the spring of 2023, RTE, which manages the high-voltage electricity network, conducted an extraordinary survey with the IPSOS institute among 13.000 people in the first wave and 11.000 in the second.

The aim was to collect the current opinion of the French people on the challenges of the energy transition, to establish "trajectories" of consumption and especially of electricity production for the years to come.

Traditionally, RTE's reports serve as a basis for the development of public policies on energy. The one published on Wednesday will be updated in September, and will feed into the next energy-climate programming law planned by the government in the fall.

First encouraging result of the study: the French have a "high awareness" of the reality of climate change and its human origin, indicates Xavier Piechaczyk, president of RTE. They even say they are “mostly” ready to “make efforts” in principle to adapt.

But, if they overwhelmingly consider that lifestyle changes are necessary, the study reveals a "lack of knowledge" of the orders of magnitude and actions having the most impact, and above all shows the societal "brakes". and financial to a possible radical change in housing and modes of travel.

"Certain changes in life models, considered as levers to achieve carbon neutrality - such as the densification of housing or the abandonment of the individual car - are, to date, in clear difference, with the aspirations or desires of the French and come up against significant cultural or organizational obstacles", notes RTE.

A sign considered positive, certain savings reflexes (lowering the heating at night, etc.) acquired during the winter of 2022-2023 "are likely to be repeated over time, or even to be accentuated" according to the study.

The pavilion, the car, model of society

But, while 37% of those questioned would immediately replace their current car with an electric or hybrid one if their vehicle broke down today, 75% consider it impossible to replace their current car with a smaller, less energy-consuming one.

In housing, 48% of those questioned envisage insulation work in three to five years, but 94% cite economic obstacles and 20% do not know which technical solution to adopt. In addition, less than 30% imagine living one day in a smaller accommodation, and no more than 40% in shared accommodation.

"The attachment to the individual house and to the car was not a surprise, because it has been studied for a long time, but what is striking is the massive side of the figures" analyzes Brice Teinturier, CEO of Ipsos.

"Despite the financial problems they mention, 88% of French people say they would replace their car if it broke down, two-thirds of them immediately," he adds.

"The vast majority of French people want to live in less dense areas, individual houses in suburban areas, and are attached to their cars", summarizes Mr. Piechaczyk: "It is constitutive of a model of society and it is necessary integrate it into the forecasts" he adds.

"It is extremely difficult and potentially dangerous to want to impose models" of radical sobriety "when you are faced with such deep desires", adds Mr. Teinturier.

The survey also shows unexpected effects: thus telework touted by some to lower CO2 emissions might not be as effective as that.

“We have doubts that teleworking is a factor in lowering emissions, because the 44% of French people who can telework also often seek to move and move away to sparsely populated areas, thus increasing the rebound effect. consumption," says Piechaczyk.

Survey carried out in two waves from July 18 to August 1, 2022, and from April 19 to May 2, 2023, with respectively 13.086 and 11.025 people aged 18 and over, questioned by internet according to the quota method, with a margin of 0,9 point error for a 50% response, for example.