A new tax increase is looming, but which should be painless for a large proportion of households. The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) announced, Tuesday January 7, an increase of 7.7% as of February 1 in the tariff for the use of public electricity networks (Turpe), which represents between 20 and 30%. of the invoice. It is used to finance Enedis, the distribution network manager, and RTE, which is responsible for the transmission network.
Networks need money
The two subsidiaries demanded much more, highlighting the colossal investments (almost 100 billion euros for each by 2040) that they must undertake, in particular to connect renewables. But they did not obtain satisfaction.
Initially, the revision of the Turpe was to take place on August 1, as is customary. But it was agreed to bring it forward to February 1, at the time of the updating of the TRV, which promises to be lower. A way to hide the additional drain on the networks.
Because the priority for the public authorities is to finally show a reduction in the bill. The increase in the Turpe will therefore not prevent the reduction promised on February 1 for households which are at EDF's regulated sales tariff (TRV). This represents around 60% of households, or around twenty million, to which are added the four million who have subscribed to a market offer (from EDF or from an alternative supplier), but indexed to the TRV. In total, almost 7 households out of 10. For them, the CRE has confirmed that the drop will be “around 14%”.
It's no surprise. The method of calculating the TRV automatically leads to a reduction in the price per kilowatt hour, since it is based in part on electricity prices on the wholesale market over the previous two years. That is 2023 and 2024, the period during which they began to ebb, and no longer 2022, when they flew away.
The tax on electricity will be raised to its 2022 level
The new Bayrou government also published a decree Official Journal of December 28, 2024, returning the tax on electricity (excise) to its pre-crisis level (increased by inflation), i.e. €33.70 per megawatt hour for individuals compared to €22 currently. There is no longer any question of going further, as his predecessor planned, which would have limited the reduction in the bill to 9%.
But not everyone will benefit from this bill reduction on February 1st. This is the case for the 10 million households who are no longer on the TRV, but who have chosen a fixed price market offer, without indexation to the TRV. For them, the increase in Turpe should represent an average additional cost of around thirty euros per year, according to simulations carried out by the Selectra comparator. And like all other households, the return of excise duty to its level before the tariff shield will cost them on average around fifty euros more per year.
However, they are not all losers, far from it. Those who have subscribed, in recent months, to a fixed price offer over one year, or even two or three years, have been able to benefit from very attractive commercial conditions, with a price per kilowatt hour often 20% lower than the price displayed in the TRV . Alternative suppliers also pride themselves on displaying offers which are, for the most part, lower than the regulated price.
