Paris, the City of Light to be plunged into darkness? Delphine Batho, minister of the environment, said a new government decree will be presented at the earliest in January, requiring stores and other non-residential buildings to turn off their lights between 1am and 7am, as part of an ongoing attempt to cut the country's energy costs and consumption. France aims to become at least 20 per cent more energy efficient over the next seven years. Ms Batho said she hopes to instil a "logic of energy sobriety," with the new measure, which would not apply to cases in which light was needed out of safety concerns, during festive periods, or for businesses that operate at night. The proposal, which would cover both the private and public sector, would follow-up on a government order passed last summer, requiring newly installed neon signs and lit ads to be turned off between 1am and 6am. But some, especially in the French capital, worry the government's new proposal would harm tourism. "I can't imagine the Eiffel Tower turned off, the Champs Elysée obscure, and the Conciergerie, just recently renovated, already deprived of its lighting," said writer Guy Konopnicki in a column for the French weekly, Marianne. It is still unclear if national monuments will also be asked to turn out the lights at night, but some already do shut off lights past a certain hour, including the Eiffel Tower. French businesses have also expressed concern about the government proposal. Our days don't end at 6pm! When people walk about, they appreciate the atmosphere, and how the streets are made cheerful by our lights. We don't want a dead city," said Xavier Taccard, co-president of an association that handles shop window lighting in the city of Toulon.