In less than two weeks, average gas prices will jump by nearly 12%. Customers therefore only have a few days left to find solutions to avoid this new increase.
Bad news for the millions of French people who heat themselves with gas. After a continuous drop in prices during the first quarter of the year, prices have started to rise again since May, and are even preparing to experience a small spike on the 1st.er July 2024. On this date, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) estimates that the average price of gas for consumers will jump by 11.7% compared to the previous month, which would represent an increase of around 130 € on the annual bill of an average household.
This increase could, however, be much greater for certain consumers, the increase of 11.7% calculated by the CRE actually concerning the “benchmark gas sales price” (PRVG), an indicator created following the removal of regulated prices of gas sales (TRVG) in June 2023. This price is therefore purely estimated and is solely intended to help consumers find themselves in the jungle of the deregulated gas market, with private suppliers remaining completely free to set their prices as as they see fit.
To try to mitigate the effects of the increase, consumers have several solutions. First of all, the CRE strongly recommends comparing the different offers available on the market, using the free public comparator on the energie-info.fr website. Then, it is possible to subscribe to a so-called fixed price offer, in which the amount per kWh of gas is fixed for the duration of the contract, which protects against certain market fluctuations. Please note, however, that in this type of formula, only the price of gas itself is fixed, the other components, such as transport and distribution rates, remain variable.
In addition to choosing an advantageous gas supply contract, it can be useful to equip yourself with consumption monitoring tools, such as a communicating meter or a mobile application. Used properly, this equipment can make it possible to optimize the heating of your home or its hot water production, and to make substantial savings on your bill. Finally, the ultimate solution is to undertake thermal insulation work on your home and replace your gas boiler with a more efficient and economical heat production system, such as a heat pump. However, this method is expensive and inaccessible for many low-income households.
However, it is interesting to note that this gradual transition to electric heating is one of the main causes of the current increase in gas prices. The CRE indicates that 55% of the price change on July 1 results from the increase in distribution costs. As the upkeep and maintenance of the distribution network is a fixed charge, its cost is distributed proportionally to gas consumers. And as there are fewer and fewer of them, they each pay more and more.