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Juliette Cardinale
Published on
Nov 28 2024 at 6:32 am
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They had first received a letter warning of a “small increase capped by the tariff shield”. Finally, the price of gas increased by 130% early 2023 for residents of the Jolibois social residence in La Teste-de-Buch in Gironde. And the regularization invoice received in November 2024 amounts to several hundred euros.
“Exorbitant” increases
Of the 201 housing units in the residence, many residents have received “a huge statement of charges” at the end of the year explains Victoire*, one of the residents. This statement is the regularization of the actual consumption for the year 2023 in relation to the provisions for charges, and for some the sum reaches 800 euros.
In fact, the problem dates back to the explosion in energy prices at the end of 2021. “In November 2022 we received a letter informing us that the tariff shield put in place by the government would be applied and that the increase in our costs would not be more than 15%,” relates Victoire.
But the unpleasant surprise arrives quickly: “In December and January, rent deductions and payments fell. And we suffered a sharp increase, putting some tenants in the red, because we were not warned. »
The tenants' representatives then asked for an explanation and the response left them speechless: “We were told that this letter was a sending error, that we would not have should not have received it,” explains the tenant.
In fact, Domofrance explains the increase in prices in a letter dated November 2022 (but which the tenants claim to have only received after several requests in early 2024). “In 2022, tenants benefited negotiated prices by Domofrance, well below the tariff shield”, we can read in the letter. The contract set the price of a megawatt hour (MWh) at 18.29 euros, compared to 64.9 euros with the tariff shield in August 2022.
But the social landlord's gas contract ends at the end of 2022 and “the new market concluded from January 1, 2023 is less favorable given the context”, underlines the landlord. Consequently, in 2023, “the prices applied are the prices resulting from the tariff shield, more advantageous compared to the new gas purchase contract” or 74.6 euros.
“When we include taxes, the expected increase in your heating expenses for 2023 will be + 130% compared to 2022 », explains the lessor.
In order not to apply the increase all at once on January 1, 2023, “Domofrance, after consultation with tenant associations, has decided to implement the price catch-up of progressive way, by two increases in your provision for heating charges”, one in November 2022 with a 50% increase, and the other at the start of 2023.
Regularizations were delayed
An increase in provisions for charges has in fact taken place, already impacting residents' budgets. But the sledgehammer falls with the invoices for regularization of charges.
According to the residents of the residence, the catching up on charges fell behind schedule: they received three regularizations in one year and were able to see “a huge increase”. The 2020 regularization was received in January 2022, that of 2021 in November 2023, that of 2022 in May 2024 and that of 2023 in November 2024. “They say it's a delay incurred during the pandemic”, reports Victoire (which Domofrance confirmed to our colleagues at Southwest in June 2023).
“As the previous regularizations were not made, the lessor did not adjust the charges as closely as possible to reality and therefore on subit », insists Victoire. “For some, we find ourselves in a critical situation. »
The increases in provisions were not enough to absorb the price explosion. As a result, some tenants find themselves with more 200, 500 or even 800 euros in November 2024.
Terrified when she receives the note, Victoire then peels the last four regula. When she calculates the price of a cubic meter of her hot water, she sees 9.06 euros in 2022 becoming 17,71 euros
the following year.
At 17.71 euros it will be a luxury to shower with hot water.
A painful problem that is far too heavy for tenants to settle. “I am scandalized by the enormous statement of charges 2023 requested when I owed around 80 cents the previous year”, testifies Mélissandre* who is asked for almost 300 euros to catch up. Living alone in an apartment of around 30 m², she cannot imagine that such a sum is being asked of her.
Spread out payments
To avoid asking tenants to pay so much at once, sometimes hundreds of euros, Domofrance indicates that deductions will be made by increments of 60 euros every month from November 2024.
“For some, ten euros is already complicated. Purchasing power has fallen and this does not only make the situation worse.It hurts my heart,” Victoire sighs. Mélissandre, for example, pays 320 euros in rent. “For five months I will have to pay 60 euros more, or 380 euros, do you realize the difference? My budget is very tight, I have outstanding loans. I cannot add additional charges to my current rent. »
“We find ourselves with exorbitant regularization,” concludes Franck*, one of the residents. “It is becoming very difficult to pay the charges. Soon we will have to choose between paying Domofrance and eat.”
*aliased names for the sake of anonymity
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