France launched a national energy savings plan on Thursday, banking on a push to turn off lights and lower thermostats to avoid power and gas cuts over the winter.

Although the country is less dependent on Russian gas than eastern neighbors like Germany, nuclear power production in France has slumped as the sector struggles to bring more of its aging reactors online out of forced maintenance.

The government has set a target of cutting France's energy consumption 10 percent by 2024 from 2019 levels, a first step in a longer-term plan to become carbon neutral by reducing energy use 40 percent by 2050.

"Our joint action will allow us to avoid taking more binding measures," Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said as she presented the plan.

Under the wide-ranging plan, the government would set the example, including by enforcing a 19°C temperature limit in public buildings and lowering that to 18°C on days when the grid is under strain.

Among other measures, the state will also cut hot water use in lavatories, encourage work from home and civil servants driving government vehicles will be required to limit their speed to 110 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, 30 out of France's biggest 40 companies have committed to reducing energy use by turning off lights in unused buildings while limiting heating and air conditioning.

Pannier-Runacher said that nearly 800 million euros ($787 million) had been set aside to help people reduce their energy use including up to 9,000 euros per household in subsidies to switch from gas boilers to more energy-efficient heat pumps.

In addition, a prolonged workers' strike at major French oil refineries has left a number of gas stations unable to sell fuel – a part of broader action across the French energy sector – as workers push for higher pay to counter inflation.

Strike action and unplanned maintenance have taken offline more than 60 percent of France's refining capacity – or 740,000 barrels per day (bpd) – forcing the country to import more when global supply uncertainty has increased the cost.

France has tapped its strategic fuel reserves to resupply petrol stations that have run dry. Government spokesperson Olivier Veran acknowledged "tensions" but said there was no shortage of fuel stocks at a national level. He urged consumers not to panic-buy petrol.

(With input from Reuters)