“these 5 months represent 60% of my consumption”

Beware of unpleasant surprises. From this Saturday, June 1, water will cost more in the Toulouse metropolitan area. A seasonal increase of 42% until the end of October to encourage citizens to reduce their consumption. This increase will have a severe impact on the poorest households. Testimony.

Seasonal water pricing, which comes into force this Saturday June 1 in the Toulouse metropolitan area, provokes anger and incomprehension among the most modest households. Testimony.

Frédéric Durant still can’t believe it. This civil servant, who barely earns more than the minimum wage, has done his accounts over and over again. And the bill is steep. The increase in the price of water from June 1 will cost its budget by more than 150 euros per year.

“Today, I pay 362 euros per year”Frédéric tells us. “With the new pricing, my bill will rise this year to 550 euros. It’s totally unfair. Especially since I already pay attention to my consumption. I don’t see how I’ll be able to reduce it any further. “These 5 months of the year, where the increase will be 42%, represent 60% of my annual consumption”.

Frédéric Durant lives as a couple in the Minimes district of Toulouse. The household has 3 people, two adults and a 6 year old girl. The couple earns 3,000 euros net per month. Aware of ecology, he cultivates a summer vegetable garden in his garden to consume locally and cope with the inflation of recent years.

“This vegetable garden is our only little pleasure, we rarely go on vacation because we don’t have the means”says Frédéric. “Moreover, I don’t have a lawn, a swimming pool, or a spa and I only maintain my vegetable garden in the summer. So if I want to reduce my bill, will I have to abandon it? If I don’t I don’t have that to share with my daughter anymore, it’s just another punishment.”

Frédéric admits it. He will continue to water his fruit trees, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes at a minimum. He agrees to pay a little more for water but finds the measure brutal and unilateral: “We are faced with a fait accompli”he regrets.

“If the decision had concerned the calendar year, I would have benefited from the low rate of less 30% since the start of the year”, he continues. “But here, it will only concern the months of November and December. We are not at all in balance.”

Another complaint: the same price for everyone: “We should differentiate between small and large consumers with progressive pricing, a bit like tax brackets”says Frédéric. “We could imagine a price for a minimum basket, another for people like me who have a vegetable garden and a third for large consumers with swimming pools. The price must reflect real consumption.”

And he continues: “Not to mention that this money is not even going to be used to improve our water network. If at least it was used to reduce leaks, that would make sense”. The agreement, signed on May 16, between the metropolis and theThe two delegatees, Suez and Véolia, provide financial compensation intended to compensate for the drop in consumption, but no new investment is planned.

Currently, the price of water is €3.34 all taxes included for a cubic meter of water consumed (1000 liters). It will now be €4.40 including tax between June 1 and October 31 and will then drop to €2.58 including tax between November 1 and May 31.

To read: Increase in the price of water during the summer: prices, meter readings, collective housing, we explain how it works

In France, water consumption saw an unprecedented drop of almost 4% in 2023, according to the latest figures communicated by the French federation of private water companies.