Little by little, the government is filling in the holes in the racket. Two days after the announcement of a guaranteed electricity rate for very small businesses in 2023, the Minister Delegate for Housing Olivier Klein presented this Sunday the same device for condominiums. A similar measure for collective housing will be discussed with gas and electricity suppliers.
In 2023, VSEs (less than ten employees) will pay a maximum of 280 euros per megawatt hour of electricity on average over the year, according to a government announcement on Friday. This is much more than the historical rate, more around 50 euros, but less than the 400 to 1000 euros reached during the second half of 2022. And this, with the aim of avoiding catastrophic increases for bakers, restaurateurs and other artisans.
“For condominiums or lessors who have taken out too expensive electricity or gas subscriptions, well there is work being carried out with energy companies as it is also carried out for companies, for bakers”, said Olivier Klein on Radio J Sunday.
“It’s the same principle, we will work with the energy companies so that they have prices that are not unbearable for the condominiums, for the lessors. Households have been covered since last winter by what the government calls a gas and electricity tariff shield, capped tariffs, which have been increased by 15% in 2023.
Retroactive shields
This tariff shield initially included many exceptions, such as social housing or condominiums which could not benefit from it. Specific aid has been added during 2022 and until December 31 to fill the last 1 to 2% of collective contracts not covered by the tariff shield.
There is no longer “no hole in the racket” for households, assured the minister on Sunday, referring to collective electric heating or the charges for common areas. The shields will cover the year 2023, and will be retroactive: “Where there have been excessive calls for charges, there will be charge adjustments”.
For condominiums, a problem was that the trustee of the building or the social landlord had to claim the aid a posteriori and that this public aid was de facto capped. If a guaranteed rate were adopted for condominiums in 2023, on the model of VSEs, this would go further than the current system, because it would make it possible to compensate more for the contracts signed in recent months at very high rates.