French energy giants urge consumers to cut back on use

Consumers should start cutting back on their energy use immediately, the bosses of France's three big energy companies urged Sunday, warning of social tensions next winter unless reserves are replenished.

"The effort has to be immediate, collective and massive," Patrick Pouyanne of TotalEnergies, Jean-Bernard Levy of EDF and Catherine MacGregor of ENGIE wrote in an op-ed piece in the JDD weekly.

The call came after the French government said this week it aimed to have its natural gas reserves at full capacity by autumn as European countries brace for supply cuts from major supplier Russia with the Ukraine war dragging on, and would build a floating terminal to receive more gas supplies by ship.