2023-07-29 09:54:11
Posted Jul 29, 2023 at 9:32 amUpdated Jul 29, 2023 at 9:54 am
Like every beginning of the month, some changes are to be expected. Here is the list of things that may concern you from this Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
10% increase in the price of electricity
This will be an additional cost for 22 million French households. The regulated electricity tariff jumped 10%, an increase of 160 euros on average per year with a total bill of 1,640 euros per household.
This increase meets the government’s objective to reduce public spending this year, and in particular the tariff shield put in place in February 2023 which aimed to cap the increase in electricity prices at 15%.
While market prices for electricity have fallen sharply compared to the same period a year ago, all costs related to production, transmission and distribution have skyrocketed. This new increase brings to around 31% the increase in the bill for French households since 2021.
End of the systematic receipt
At the checkout, it will now be necessary to explicitly ask the seller to print the receipt for any purchase. This measure follows the law on the fight against waste passed in February 2020. This measure should make it possible to save paper, while 12 billion receipts are printed each year in France.
The end of the systematic receipt was to take place on January 1, 2023. But it was postponed given the inflationary context, which pushed the French to look more closely at the shopping invoice.
· Payment of the back-to-school allowance
The back-to-school allowance (ARS), which concerns 3 million households in France, makes it possible to acquire school supplies and other clothing in particular to prepare children between the ages of 6 and 18 for the start of the school year.
On August 1, only residents of the departments of Mayotte and Reunion will receive this payment of between 398 and 434 euros per child depending on age. Or a revaluation of more than 20 euros (5.6%) compared to last year. The rest of the families concerned, in metropolitan France and Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique, will touch the ARS on August 16.
As every year, the ARS is paid subject to means testing. It is collected automatically by bank transfer for low-income families with children aged 6 to 15. For others, you must provide a certificate of schooling to the Family Allowance Fund.
Maintaining the popular savings account rate
The popular savings book (LEP) – the most profitable book – has been a dazzling success in recent months in the face of rising prices and thanks to the increase in its remuneration. Nearly 300,000 new booklets have been opened since the end of 2022.
On August 1, its rate barely changed, it went to 6% against 6.1% since February 1. In theory, this rate should have fallen to 5.6% given the level of inflation.
However, from October 1, the ceiling will be set at 10,000 euros, against 7,700 euros currently. This increase was announced on July 13 by the Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, on the proposal of the Governor of the Banque de France, François Villeroy de Galhau.
Release of the housing savings plan
The conditions for using the housing savings plan (PEL) are becoming more flexible. From now on, this booklet can be partially released to finance the thermal renovation of a dwelling. Until then, the withdrawal of outstanding amounts from a PEL de facto meant the closing of the savings account since it only allowed the purchase of real estate.
The government thus wants to encourage the ecological transition in housing through thermal renovation, which is often very expensive but effective in terms of energy savings. Thanks to this mechanism, holders of a PEL will be able to release part of the funds to finance thermal work without closing the booklet. Today, the PEL, whose rate is maintained at 2.6% on average, has reached 300 billion euros in France.
Maintaining the Livret A rate at 3%
Unlike other savings books, a major point of change for the favorite savings book of the French, the Livret A. Its rate is maintained at 3% until 2025. A decision by Bercy in line with the recommendations of the Banque de France, even though the theoretical calculation of the rate should have led to it being raised to more than 4%. The rate of the sustainable and solidarity development booklet is also maintained at 3%.
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