GAS PRICES 2022. The government, through Elisabeth Borne, should unveil this Wednesday, September 14 the new contours of the price shield and the amount of the gas price increase for this winter.
[Mis à jour le 13 septembre 2022 à 08h47] “Increases will occur from the beginning of 2023. It will be a contained, reasonable increase, compared to spectacular figures”. These are the words of the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, this Monday, September 12 at the microphone of LCI. Statements, as an appetizer, because the rise in the price of gas should be announced by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, during a press conference this Wednesday, September 14, according to information from Figaro. The latter should give the exact figures of the increase which the French will face this winter, and draw the outlines of the energy sobriety plan. As a reminder, within the framework of the amending finance law, energy prices (including gas) are for the moment preserved by the tariff shield, the increase cannot exceed 4%. A tariff shield extended until the end of 2022.
The price of natural gas in Europe is soaring. The TTF rating, the Dutch reference in Europe, even reached an all-time high, 345 euros per megawatt hour, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. It has since fallen but remains well above the usual standards. This is the first visible consequence of the war in Ukraine. So, is there a real risk of rising prices in France? For now, not really thanks to the introduction of the tariff shield by the executive. Purchases of energy products could be spared, there should not be a shortage either in France.
However, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire officially announced that the price of gas would increase, admittedly in a controlled manner, but still increase from the start of 2023 despite the extension of the tariff shield. According to the tenant of Bercy, it is not only up to the State to bear the soaring gas prices, the French must also take a small share.
The consumer is facing a veritable spike in gas prices in recent months. For households using gas as a means of cooking, but also for heating, the successive increases will seriously affect the end-of-year budget. The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has indeed announced a mess of increases in recent months, these increases affecting the regulated gas prices charged by Engie. They act indirectly on market prices. We summarize what has happened in recent months:
- +10% in July 2021
- +5% in August 2021
- +8.7% in September 2021
- +12.6% in October 2021
- +15% announced on November 1, 2021.
In France, there is no reason to worry, for the time being. First, with Italy, France is the best European student in terms of gas storage according to Le Parisien. This greatly protects us, initially, from the risk of lack of supply and variations in supply. Secondly, France has three LNG terminals: Montoir-de-Bretagne (Loire-Atlantique), Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Dunkirk (North). A considerable advantage which should make it possible to supply French customers with peace of mind in the coming weeks.
Remember that in France, suppliers are required to store gas for several months, in layers. And that’s good news, the French tablecloths are almost full. This covers 1/4 of the annual consumption. The difficulty will be to restock them at the end of winter. Otherwise, major difficulties are to be expected for next winter.
Today, 40% of European gas is imported from Russia. Be careful, however, only 17% of French gas comes from Russia, there is the big difference with ultra-dependent countries like Germany. Across the Rhine, our neighbors are dependent from 55% to 60% towards the Russia in terms of gas imports. Also, the pipeline North Stream 2 has just been completed between Russia and Germany. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already suspended the authorization for this gas pipeline. Germany finds itself trapped, and could be in great difficulty in the event of a cold snap.
If Russia decides to no longer supply France with gas, France will still have the possibility of supplying itself with Norway (36% gas imported into France) or Algeria (8% gas imported into France), France’s other gas trading partners. Please note that these countries have much more limited supply capacities than Russia. This import of liquefied gas from Norway and Algeria remains, today, the most serious and interesting track if Russia were to stop supplying Europe.
Are you still dependent on regulated gas prices? This price increase is not the only reason to look elsewhere! Since the Energy and Climate law adopted in 2019, regulated tariffs are gradually disappearing. Engie has ceased to market new contracts at regulated sales tariffs (TRV), since November 2019, which means that you will soon change your contract. If you have an Engie contract, don’t panic. It remains valid until June 30, 2023. In this context of crisis, are you studying the possibility of changing your energy supplier more seriously? Consult our dedicated file without further delay:
Be careful, however, since if you have not changed your contract yourself, you will see your contract automatically switch to a market offer from Engie, from July 1, 2023. If you change provider, find out on the website of the national energy ombudsman, iciwhich offers a comparator of offers to find the formula that meets your consumption needs.
Do you want to know the price of gas near you? Here are some examples: gas prices in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Rennes, Nantes, or even Lille. You can also search for the city of your choice using the search bar above.