2023-04-19 19:14:24
Still a little over two months before the end of the regulated gas tariff. To prepare its customers, the leading gas supplier in France Engie wrote to its subscribers, at the same time offering them a fairly close relay offer.
The price of this offer, called “Passerelle” and can be canceled at any time free of charge, will be indexed to a reference indicator calculated by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE) and should not be accompanied by large increases but only marginal, according to Engie.
“The consumer retains absolute freedom,” said Florence Fouquet, Director of Individual Markets, during a press briefing. If he switches to “Passerelle” on July 1, he can always change his mind afterwards for a market offer “, at Engie or another supplier, she specified.
The announced end of the regulated tariff, in application of European regulations, has awakened fears of seeing the price of gas increase further. Consumer associations had called for a two-year moratorium, fearing that the context of the energy crisis and high price volatility would turn into a trade rat race.
“A rocking offer”
The regulated gas tariff began to disappear in 2019, but there are still 2.3 million Engie residential customers in France, holders of this type of contract, in a national residential market which has 11 million subscribers. Many are elderly subscribers.
For three years, information letters have been sent to customers, the latest in March and April. On July 1, “customers who would not have chosen another offer”, from Engie or another supplier, will be offered “a switchover offer, to avoid being deprived of access to gas”, specified Florence Fouquet. The “Passerelle” offer will operate like the old regulated tariff, in an evolutionary way: “the evolution of the price of the Kilowatt hour may vary each month by following the CRE benchmark index”, she said.
Currently, the regulated tariff is frozen by the tariff shield introduced by the State to protect consumers and limit increases: + 4% on February 1, 2022 and + 15% on average on January 1, 2023. Pending the July tariff, which will only be known in June, the indicative price of the “Passerelle” offer was in April at a level “fairly close” to the regulated tariff, although “slightly above”.
“But we expect it to go back below,” said Florence Fouquet, and in the event of a new surge in gas prices on the markets, the price shield would apply.
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