To be eligible for this device, an electrical power of 36 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) must not be exceeded. But to run their business, they are forced to exceed this threshold.
The discontent begins to rise among the craftsmen. In question, most are not eligible for the tariff shield put in place by the government to limit the rise in energy prices. For smaller businesses, this shield applies to “those with a turnover of less than two million euros and with fewer than ten employees». «They are thus protected by the regulated sales tariffs, with an increase which will be limited to 15%.next year, assures the government. Last criterion of this price shield: not to exceed an electrical power of 36 kilovolt-amperes (kVA).
Problem, to run their business, craftsmen generally need more power. For example, a medium-sized bakery, between 6 and 8 employees, needs about 72 kVA. “Yeast machines, kneaders and ovens consume a lot of electricity. Bakers are hit by rising energy prices, as are butchers and florists“, says Marc Sanchez, general secretary of the union of Independents and VSEs (SDI). According to him, for the tariff shield, “it would simply be necessary to take into account the size criteria and remove the power threshold».
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A claim that is becoming urgent for Dominique Anract, president of the National Confederation of French Bakery-Pastry (CNBPF): “There is already a 20 to 25% increase in raw materials for bakers. The rise in energy prices is a real blow for them, they are terrified.» «Some have survived the past two months with electricity bills of 5,000 euros, but next month they will not have enough to pay their salaries.», warns Dominique Anract. He completes that heit is absolutely necessary to find a solution for the 35,000 French bakeries and pastry shops, at the risk of seeing many villages lose their trade».
“Passing on the price increase to the products”
But on the government side, the modification of the tariff shield is not on the agenda. The office of Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, specifies to the Figaro that craftsmen have two solutions:the first is to pass on the rise in energy prices to their products». «It is for this reason that we have implemented the purchasing power package this summer so that households can absorb the increase in tariffs“, adds the cabinet. For Marc Sanchez, raising prices comes down to “to sell at a loss», especially for bakers who «are already experiencing a commodity boom“. He warns that “the alert level is quite high for these professions».
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For the executive, a second solution is possible and would make it possible to avoid rising product prices: that of the resilience plan, allocated three billion euros. Companies that do not fall within the tariff shield are still entitled to aid. The device aims toinfrastructures whose gas and electricity purchases reached at least 3% of their turnover in 2021“. A threshold not to be exceeded, at the risk of being considered as an energy-intensive company. Added to this is “a doubling of the unit cost of electricity and gas purchases over at least one month during the eligible period(s)».
This resilience plan, based on the gross operating surplus, “aims to offset the additional costs of gas and electricity expenses», beyond this doubling. Depending on the company’s gross operating surplus, the latter is not entitled to the same aid. The different scenarios are explained in this FAQ, updated on Monday. For Marc Sanchez, it is a “complicated device that lacks clarity». «French companies are heterogeneous, so aid is too“, defends the cabinet of Olivia Grégoire.