6. Industry and energy-saving measures

6.1 First energy-saving measures

Industrial activities were the first area to benefit from an energy-saving program set up by the French government after the first oil crisis in 1973, and led by the Agence pour les économies d'énergie (AEE), created at the time. Two types of measures were taken to encourage reduced energy consumption: the creation of a domestic tax on petroleum products (TIPP, now TIPCE, domestic consumption tax on energy products) and financial aid (in sharp decline) to support energy-saving actions. Added to this was the rising cost of oil per barrel.

It should be noted that the "price" factor, when it is on the rise, has an immediate reducing effect on energy consumption, but this fades over time. What's more, fluctuations in the price of...