France to issue decrees to save energy

PARIS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- French Minister for Energy Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher announced on Sunday future decrees to force air-conditioned stores to keep their doors closed and to ban illuminated advertisements during early morning hours.

"In the next few days, I will issue two decrees. The first generalizes the ban on illuminated advertisements between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. regardless of the size of the city, with the exception of airports and train stations, and the second prohibits shops from having their doors open while air conditioning or heating is on," the minister said.

She said that shops keeping their doors closed while air conditioning is on can cut their energy bills by 20 percent.

The minister said that shops leaving their doors open and air conditioning on will be fined up to 750 euros (756.97 U.S. dollars) and the fine for illuminated advertisements will be up to 1,500 euros (1,531.95 dollars).

In his national day interview on July 14, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the French will have to cut their energy consumption to prepare for possible shortages amid the Ukraine crisis.