It's late morning in the centre of Swansea on another baking summer's day, and shoppers are merrily nipping in and out of shops, cafes and bakeries. People seem relaxed and I overhear a few more laughs and "ta-ra babes" than normal.
The nipping in and out bit of shops is especially easy these days as the majority of doors are constantly open. But is that a good idea when many shops have air conditioning, energy costs are soaring, and wasting electricity isn't exactly a win-win for the environment?
Two weeks ago it was reported that shops in France, which has experienced extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires this summer, will be fined up to £640 for keeping their doors open when their air conditioning is on. The same applies for heating. Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France's minister for ecological transition, said leaving doors open with air conditioning on led to 20% more energy consumption, and was "absurd". You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
