Supermarket chain Carrefour has hit on a novel idea to cope if the worst-case scenario of electricity shortages comes true this winter in France: firing up the rotisseries it uses to cook chicken an hour earlier in the morning.

It is one of many changes the group is planning or has already implemented at its 1,700 French stores — all aimed at consuming less energy or minimising usage at times of peak demand. Under a recently signed agreement with French grid operator RTE, Carrefour will voluntarily scale back energy consumption when it receives an orange or red alert signifying a risk of outages because the network is under stress.

“It doesn’t make that big of a difference to us if we start roasting the chickens at 7am instead of at 8am, but RTE tells us that such steps would help them at peak times,” said Bertrand Swiderski, Carrefour’s sustainability director. “There may not be enough electricity for everyone this winter, so we have to be ready.”