Interventions for unpaid gas or electricity broke a record in 2022 despite the tariff shield put in place to contain soaring prices, but for electricity the cut is no longer the rule.
"
Despite the tariff shield and the allocation of additional energy vouchers, the number of interventions for unpaid bills increased in 2022: 863,000 (...) were implemented, i.e. an increase of 10% compared to 2021"
, announced the energy ombudsman on Thursday.
This is the highest level since the mediator identified these interventions in 2015. Unprecedented in terms of the extent of the tensions on the energy markets, the year 2022 was also marked by a drop "for the first time
"
. the number of unpaid households that suffered a power cut.
A “
social advance
” hailed by the Abbé Pierre Foundation, which campaigns for a law on the total abolition of cuts in main residences.
The number of homes cut has been reduced to 157,000, against 254,000 in 2021, a drop of 38%, according to the mediator who specifies that the evolution is "mainly" the
fact
of "
a few suppliers, in particular EDF
".
Since April 1, 2022, EDF has chosen to no longer suspend the power supply in the event of non-payment by its customers, but to reduce their power to 1 kVA or 3 kVa, regardless of the time of year.
This is enough to light a bulb, charge your phone, keep food and medicine in the fridge, or take steps to regularize your situation, underlines the Abbé Pierre Foundation.
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A “cruel social punishment”
In its press release, the Foundation called on other suppliers to follow the example, citing in particular TotalEnergies and Engie.
The supplier Plum has also made public commitments, while others are reluctant to communicate for fear of encouraging bad payers.
“
But in fact, they do not cut and offer payment terms to the people most in difficulty
”, underlines an industrial source.
About the cuts, the Foundation argues that it is a “
cruel social punishment
” with consequences that can be dramatic, in particular by increasing the risk of fire through the use of candles, lamps or kerosene heaters.
“
Power limitation is far from being comfortable, and therefore does not take part in disempowering consumers
,” underlines the Foundation.
Along with a reduction in cuts, the number of unpaid households whose power has been reduced on the electric meter has jumped to 610,000 in 2022, according to mediators.
This represents an increase of 36% compared to 2021 and a multiplication by 2.2 since 2019, and in two out of three cases, this did not concern an EDF customer, according to the historical supplier.
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"We must go further"
Since February 26, 2023, a decree has also been imposed on all suppliers: they must supply a minimum power supply of 1 kVA for at least 60 days, prior to a power cut in the event of unpaid bills for households benefiting from the energy voucher and the Housing Solidarity Fund, equipped with a smart meter.
With this measure, this year, the end of the winter break on April 1 will no longer be synonymous with an immediate power cut for tenants in difficulty.
"
We must go further
," pleaded the energy mediator Olivier Challan Belval.
“
The current energy crisis raises questions about the long-term protection systems for the most fragile consumers
,” he commented in his press release.
An independent public authority, the National Energy Ombudsman's mission is to propose amicable solutions to disputes with companies in the sector and to inform energy consumers of their rights.