Do you know the “open door” trick to make big savings this winter?

As the year 2024 draws to a close, many French people are starting to take an interest in what will change for them in the days to come, namely from January 1, 2025. As soon as the wishes are exchanged, the most modest retirees will see their pension increase at the rate of inflation, i.e. 2.2%, as announced by the Ministry of the Economy on December 10. If medical consultations have already increased last week, going from 26.50 euros to 30 euros, we will see a return to the old regime for restaurant vouchers. Thus, only directly consumable products, such as sandwiches, can be paid for, and no other foods such as pasta or bacon. Furthermore, with regard to the rules of unemployment insurance, its maximum duration of 22.5 months will be accessible from the age of 55 (compared to 53 years previously) and that of 27 months from the age of 57 (compared to 55 years Currently).

Quid you energy cost ? In fact, the rating has increased for households in recent years, particularly in 2024 according to reports from retail market observatories published by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). “For a customer consuming 2,400 KWh per year and equipped with a 6 KVa meter, the annual bill for the Regulated Electricity Sales Tariff (TRVE), basic formula, increased from 696 euros in August 2023 to 756 euros in August 2024″underline our colleagues from MoneyVoxsupporting figures. Next year, theexcise on electricity (indirect tax levied on the sale or use of products including electricity) which was the subject of a substantive debate in the National Assembly will increase in February, to 32 euros per MWh, against 21 euros per MWh at present.

Who will be impacted by a new increase in 2025?

Furthermore, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) “it should be necessary to increase TURPE by around 10% in 2025, followed by three years of inflation increases, to give network managers the means to carry out their missions under good conditions”. This is the Tariff for using public electricity networks. “A lot of investment in networks is necessary to maintain them and improve interconnections”says Jacques Percebois, a specialist in energy economics (MoneyVox). Rest assured, for half of households the bill should nevertheless fall from February 2025, despite theend of the tariff shield previously implemented by the government. This concerns consumers who have opted for an offer at a regulated rate or an indexed market offerdue to the decrease in wholesale prices over the past two years and which is only now being reflected.

On the other hand, all subscribers who have opted for another market offer whose prices evolve differently, or fixed, the increase in the bill should be felt in the weeks to come… So to remedy this and contain this increase , we must compete in ingenuity. It is entirely possible to reduce your electricity consumption without sacrificing your comfort. We cannot remind you often enough that you should start by turning off rooms where there is no one or unplugging connected devices when they are not in use. British people from Mirror evoke for their part the method of “open door”.

Reduce the kitchen bill

No, it's not a question of leaving the living room door or the bathroom door ajar, or even the front door of the home… We're talking here about the oven door, after cooking, to let heat diffuses and warms the atmosphere. The impact should be immediate and saves on heating. “Leaving your oven door open after cooking allows residual heat to warm your kitchen, and using bubble wrap on windows can act as insulation, reducing heat loss”we explain across the Channel. It is in the kitchen that we can reduce the electricity bill the most, by stopping cooking in advancen for example, the plate remaining hot for a certain time, or by favoring LED lamps or compact fluorescent lamps (LFC) for lighting fixtures.

Finally, be aware that there are several forms of assistance that are not necessarily known, but which can support households financially. This is the case for a check that can amount to up to 277 euros depending on your situation. Also, it is possible to get 100 euros off thanks to this tip.