EDF will offer small businesses weakened by electricity contracts concluded at the worst of the surge in energy prices in 2022, support to
“smooth”
these prices over time, the historic electricity supplier announced on Friday.
As part of
“personalized support”
, the electrician will offer its small business clients the opportunity to renegotiate their contracts by extending them over a
“longer period, to allow for a reduction in costs”
, indicated the CEO of EDF Luc Rémont during the presentation of the group's results marked for the year 2023 by a record profit of 10 billion euros.
“We are in an environment of falling prices (...) while being aware that in 2024 there will still be customers who suffer from high prices
,” added Luc Rémont, citing the case of SMEs
“in the sector of the hotel and catering industry
.
EDF intends to respond on a
“case by case” basis
to the situations of small businesses which would remain in 2024 or even 2025 under the effect of high-priced electricity contracts, subscribed from mid-2022 at the height of the energy crisis.
These contracts generally last 1 to 3 years and are subject to termination fees, which is not the case for individuals.
Read alsoEDF: 10 billion profits in 2023, but colossal challenges
“Up to 30 to 40%” price drop
With this support solution, an SME which would have subscribed to a contract for 2023-2024 at the worst of the crisis and would like to
“contract for an additional period after 2024”
, would see its average price drop
“up to 30 to 40%”
per year .
compared to the price of its contract in 2024, explained EDF.
Electricity on the markets is currently trading around 70 euros per MWh, very far from the record peak of summer 2022 (more than 1000 euros), but certain companies still remain bound by contracts at 300, 400, 600 euros per MWh. MWh, it is indicated on the Bercy side.
“There was a request (from Bercy), which was immediately accepted by Luc Rémont
,” said the Ministry of the Economy.
Bruno Le Maire asked the manager this week
for “an effort on the invoices of VSEs and SMEs which had very high prices for 2022, and this in a context where EDF has achieved good results”
, reported the ministerial source.
The solutions proposed by EDF are in addition to existing government measures for VSEs, SMEs and mid-sized companies (price ceiling, electricity buffer, aid window, etc.), Bercy underlined.