Regulated electricity sales tariffs are expected to increase again in France on August 1. It is, in any case, the proposal made by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) to the government. "The CRE proposes to the ministers responsible for energy and the economy an increase in the regulated tariffs for the sale of electricity by 1.55% including tax on August 1, 2020, which takes into account the evolution of the tariffs of the public networks of transport and distribution of electricity ” , specifies the regulator. In mainland France, the residential rate (“blue”) will increase by 1.54%, and that for professionals by 1.58%.
This CRE proposal must now be validated by Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy, and Barbara Pompili, the new Minister for the Ecological Transition.
In 2019, regulated electricity prices registered a historic increase, with a first jump of 5.9% on June 1, then a second increase of 1.23% in August. And the year 2020 already saw a first increase of 2.4% in
February.
The potion ends up becoming bitter for the customers. These regulated prices set by the State concern only EDF, the incumbent operator, as well as local distribution companies in a few cities. The majority of French people remain attached to it, however: 23.9 million residential sites use them, compared to just over 9 million who have subscribed to the tariffs set freely by EDF's competitors or by the public company itself (which also has so-called market offers). More than 72% of French people are therefore affected by the increase proposed by CRE for August 1.