The municipality in Paris announced Tuesday that all lights in offices and shops will be turned off at the end of the working day.

The decision will take effect immediately.

Businesses that do not comply will be fined between €750 and €1,500 ($740 and $1,841), according to the France Bleu, a French network of local and regional radio stations.

Local authorities will be able to allow exceptions for Christmas lighting and other local events.

The new law will save about two terawatt/hours of electricity a year - the equivalent of the annual consumption of 750,000 households, the ministry said.

The announcement came amid an energy crisis in Europe that has been brought on by the Russian war against Ukraine.

To cope, European governments are trying to diversify their supplies and introduce measures to reduce demand and save energy.

The Paris municipality will also turn lights off on advertising boards between 11.45 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time starting Dec. 1.

Environment Minister Delphine Batho said it would also make France a pioneer in Europe in preventing light pollution, which disrupts ecosystems and people’s sleep patterns. (Anadolu Agency)