This is a galette des rois that energy suppliers will have a hard time digesting.
This Thursday morning, during the traditional Epiphany ceremony organized in the village hall of the Élysée, the President of the Republic announced that the energy bills of very small businesses (less than 10 employees) will have to be renegotiated. in January in the event of an “excessive contract”.
Clearly, those that exceed 220 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) recently subscribed by a VSE, for example a bakery, a butcher, a laundry or a restaurant.
A ceiling that does not say its word, even if the Élysée refutes this term.
“I, like you, are tired of having people who, on the basis of the crisis, make excessive profits, justified Emmanuel Macron in front of an audience of bakers.
I heard the concern and the anguish, it is legitimate.
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Macron asks energy suppliers to 'renegotiate' 'excessive contracts' in January
For several weeks, the testimonies of these small traders strangled by energy bills sometimes multiplied by more than fifteen have spread in the media.
Some even announcing the permanent closure of their business.
Still blurry
This announcement without drums nor trumpets surprised everyone, even the services of Bercy.
Tuesday, receiving the bakers to re-explain to them the financial aid put in place by the State, while lecturing the energy suppliers, also received and accused of not doing enough for small businesses, Bruno Le Maire had nevertheless estimated have sufficiently cleared the ground.
Especially since he had obtained several engagements.
And in particular, the respect of a charter signed in October, in which the suppliers undertook to grant a period of reflection long enough to the companies before resigning.
But above all, they had agreed to terminate the contracts deemed “prohibitive”.
According to what criteria?
“We are not going to give a threshold, was content to indicate the Ministry of the Economy on Tuesday.
This will depend on the situation on a case by case basis.
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Read alsoEnergy prices: small supplier concessions to help bakers
A vagueness finally swept away by the Élysée.
"Not that much," retorts an actor in this case.
The Head of State's announcement raises many questions.
And first of all, the ceiling chosen, obviously not completely consolidated.
During his speech, Emmanuel Macron indicated that the contracts that can be renegotiated are those "above the reference prices given at the end of last year by the Energy Regulatory Commission".
That is 285 euros per megawatt/hour, according to the last press release by the CRE of December 22.
Following his speech, the Head of State estimated that in the coming months, this threshold should be 220 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).
Hence this amount communicated by the Elysée.
A new meeting this Friday
But according to our information, this reference price should be around 260 euros per MWh.
The Energy Regulation Commission (CRE) could make tariff proposals, depending on market developments in the coming days.
“Nothing is clear, concedes a player in the sector.
I fell out of the cupboard when I discovered this ad.
We had never heard of that.
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"It's the chef's surprise," sums up another.
Or rather the grimace soup.
“Concretely, that means that we will sell at a loss, continues the same supplier.
If we have hedged on a MWh price of 1,000 euros and we can sell it at a maximum of 220 euros, that means we lose 780 euros.
It is not tenable.
And I'm not sure it's legal.
We are not allowed to sell at a loss.
And what will Europe say?
It looks like dumping.
For the second time this week, suppliers are invited this Friday afternoon to Bercy to discuss the subject.
For some, the government is replicating what it did with TotalEnergies when it demanded that the oil company grant motorists a rebate at the pump: it twists their arm.
With the same threat in the event of refusal: the profits of suppliers will be taxed more.
Received this Thursday at Bercy, restaurateurs are waiting to learn more about this announcement.
Same thing for bakers.
“If the prices are effectively blocked at 280 euros or 220 euros, analyzes Dominique Anract, president of the National Confederation of French Bakery-Pastry, and that in addition we benefit from aid, such as the counter or the shock absorber, a baker , by trimming its margins and passing on some of the increases to its prices, can get away with it.
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