Andrew Warren, head of the UK’ Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE), has predicted an equivalent law which was introduced to Paris also known as the ‘city of lights’ to be brought into effect in the UK in an attempt to save money and lower carbon footprint.

The French Government has confirmed that non-residential properties in Paris’s Avenue des champs Elysees will be forced to switch off their lights at night and be plunged into darkness. It has been foretold by the French Minister for Ecology that this ‘illumination ban’ will come into effect on July 1^st of this year. This means that businesses will be acquired to switch off all internal lights one hour after all personals leave, and have the external front lights to switch off at 1am.

The ‘illumination ban’ is built on a rule that was in place forcing neon and LED lights to be turned off between the hours of 1am and 6am. The proposal is set to boost energy efficiency by 20% before the end of the decade.

The new law however has received some criticism especially over the concerned damage that it will have on tourism as well as destroy Paris’ reputation as the ‘City of Lights’, with a concern of a possible increase in security risks.

"I could see a similar law being introduced here," Andrew Warren said. "But we've already got the Office and Shops Act which prevents retail premises from exceeding a certain temperature, and it’s not properly enforced. Shops frequently exceed the temperature, but none of them are prosecuted.

"If France is going to enforce this then that's really good, but the worry is that they've introduced something that's perfectly logical, but then its not enforced. Then you've got the worst of both worlds."