For several months, 400,000 people will see their bills soar. Before it drops, on a date already planned.
This is another big blow to the wallets of thousands of French people, one of those we could do without. Little highlighted because it does not represent a significant part of the monthly household budget, a bill will experience a surge of almost 50% for several months, due to a new special rule. However, it is already expected that this will drop and the date has already been set.
Since 1er June, the price of water increased for more than 400,000 households. And not just a little: +42% on the bill! An increase which is part of the new water pricing policy, depending on the seasons, which is intended to be deployed throughout France. Objective: to reduce consumption and limit the effects of the scarcity of resources in France.
This outbreak particularly concerns Toulouse, but also the 36 other municipalities which make up the metropolis around the Pink City. For a few months, residents will have to pay more for this commodity which is becoming rare. In any case, this is the argument put forward by the metropolis to justify its choice, citing “an extremely low flow of the Garonne in recent summers.” Through this system, the metropolis wants to encourage people to consume less water, during a period during which the gardens are watered several times a week to preserve their greenery in the heat and during which the swimming pools are regularly filled by their owners.
While this can obviously be frightening and worrying for one’s finances, this increase is not permanent. In fact, the metropolis of Toulouse has implemented seasonal water pricing. So, in fall and winter, prices will drop. But not as much as they will have increased. The planned reduction will be “only” 30%. This will take place from October 31. Toulouse Métropole indicated that the increases and decreases would be applied on a fixed basis: €3.34/m3. Thus, from June to October, the rate will be €4.40/m3, then will increase to €2.58/m3 from November to May.
Concretely, what impact will this have on the water bill? According to the estimates made by the metropolis, this will be painless in a home of three people without a garden or swimming pool (an increase of 60 cents on the annual bill), while those who have a garden and a swimming pool will have, approximately, pay more than 80 euros extra each year. How is it possible to predict a stable bill for some households, when the drop will not be as strong as the rise? The metropolis claims that in summer, the population will consume less due to the price of m3. O Toulouse…