The situation is becoming untenable for many energy suppliers. Already this summer, Leclerc had made the decision to part with its 140,000 electricity subscribers by asking them by email and rather abruptly to look elsewhere as quickly as possible. After October 15, they will run the risk of being cut. Since then, the context has worsened further and other players in the sector have also found themselves caught by the throat. “Those who have been able to anticipate by signing long-term contracts can still hold out,” explains one of them. On the other hand, the newcomers, who buy the spot, for immediate deliveries, at a golden price, will not hold out for long. "
Result: some have no other choice but to refuse any new customer. This is the case, for example, of Cdiscount Énergie, a subsidiary created in 2017 by the French number one in e-commerce, and which has just published an at least explicit message on its site: "Our electricity and gas are being redesigned. We are unable to take new registrations at this time. "Ditto for Mega Energie which itself does not go back four ways in responding to a request for information:" In view of the exceptional and meteoric rise in prices on the energy market, we unfortunately cannot offer you a contract allowing you to make attractive savings for the moment. »The more than 100 years old Vattenfall, producer and distributor present in seven European countries,no longer offers gas subscription.
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Another solution: increase prices. "Some suppliers like Wekiwi, Mega and Planete Oui, are currently modifying their customers' contracts," confirms the National Energy Mediator (MNE). The 140,000 customers of Mint Energie, for their part, received an email informing them of a “price change”, with one month's notice. According to our calculations, this could go up to + 25%, or 400 euros extra on an annual invoice. Please note: in certain cases, especially when the contracts concern fixed price offers for a period that has not yet expired, these modifications may be illegal. The price increase can also be done when sending the contract. Following consumer complaints, the Spanish operator Iberdrola has just been sanctioned by the same Energy Mediator.The latter dereferenced it from its offer comparator for having modified its prices between the time they were displayed on its site, and the time when the subscriber had to sign his contract. Obviously the second prize was much higher than the first. The Mediator therefore recommends the greatest vigilance in this period of extreme market tension.
“We are currently experiencing in the energy sector in Europe what the finance sector experienced in 2008, warns François Carlier, the deputy director of the CLCV consumer association.
A real crash, in which a great contractual insecurity sets in, which can lead to sudden price increases or sudden termination of the contract.
The best way to protect yourself from this is to choose security, with fixed price offers, or even for electricity that of the TRV.
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