Energy crisis: Limoges, Granville, Versailles… around thirty public swimming pools closed since Monday – Le Monde

About thirty public swimming pools, in Limoges, Granville (Manche) or Versailles in particular, closed their doors on Monday, September 5, the operating company Vert Marine no longer being able to cope with the increase in energy prices, a-t she explained on Facebook. About 10% of the 4,000 public swimming pools in France are managed by a public service delegation and not directly by the community where they are located. Often heated by gas, swimming pools are very energy-intensive equipment and bear the full brunt of rising prices. The Vert Marine company had to close “for a temporary period” a third of its establishments and placed “staff on partial unemployment”, she said in a press release sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The energy bill of this public service delegate has increased from “15 million to 100 million euros”, or “the entire annual turnover of the company”. The company, which has been in discussions with communities since June, could not find a solution at this stage, she added. She says she does not want to multiply prices by three. Read also Article reserved for our subscribers Municipal swimming pools in search of a new model “Return to bearable costs” It thus calls on “local and governmental authorities to take the necessary and unprecedented decisions to return to bearable costs of energy and enable public service obligations to be met, and, first and foremost, learning to swim, particularly in schools”, explains Vert Marine, which has 2,000 employees. Of the 90 swimming pools and ice rinks it manages, some delegation contracts do not include the cost of energy. Since this summer, several French communities have decided to reduce the hourly amplitudes of their swimming pool, or even have lowered the temperature of the water to try to reduce an exploding bill. The trend could continue given the energy crisis. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The shortage of lifeguards threatens swimming and learning to swim winter. This question of swimming pools and ice rinks is on the menu of the government’s sports working group on energy sobriety. Last week, the sports and energy transition ministers stressed: “With regard to swimming pools and ice rinks, work is being carried out in particular with the representatives of these players. [dont l’Union sport et cycle] and communities to find solutions to reduce consumption while preserving sporting and economic activity. Additional measures will be studied in the event of high voltages on the networks. » The World with AFP