Temperatures are dropping this week and may have prompted you to turn your heating back on. The onset of winter leads to an increase in our energy consumption. To save money on the gas bill, the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir is relaunching its group gas purchase offer.
From 166 to 473 euros in savings per year
Via its subsidiary, SAS Que Choisir, the association launched a call for tenders from national gas suppliers, which was won by Alterna Energie, which undertakes to provide an attractive offer at a fixed rate for two years .
UFC-Que Choisir promises a price per kWh of gas (including tax) “between 17% and 22% lower than the average benchmark price for the month of November”. In comparison with the ''bridge'' offer to which former subscribers to the regulated gas rate switched – which ended on June 30, 2023 – the association, based on a household using gas for cooking and hot water at 4,000 kWh per year, figures the savings at 166 euros per year. For a home heating with gas (and consuming on average 20,000 kWh per year), the gain is even greater, since it will save 473 euros over a year. “It is currently the most competitive offer on the market,” assures Cédric Musso, director of political action at UFC Que-Choisir. “It is the strength of numbers and the ability to mobilize consumers that attracts suppliers and allows them to reduce costs. They, for their part, save on commercial costs. »
No consumer engagement
At the end of two years, the supplier is obliged to propose an offer which must not be more expensive than its best market offer. The consumer will also be able to subscribe again to a group purchase gas offer if an operation of the same type is relaunched by the association.
The consumer can carry out a simulation based on their consumption profile, their geographic area and their pricing option to quantify the potential savings made. “Once registered, there is no action to take, everything is taken care of by the supplier, from cancellation to subscribing to the new offer,” explains Cédric Musso. It is free to cancel at any time. A formula thus making it possible to protect consumers from sometimes brutal price variations in the energy market. “We have experienced price surges in the past due to the explosion in prices on the gas market. With this offer, the consumer is protected but is not locked in, only the supplier is committed for two years,” he adds.
Strengthened legal protection
In addition to the attractive price, UFC-Que Choisir offers legal security. It imposes more protective conditions than those usually offered, requires a plurality of payment methods regardless of the billing method, and offers, among other things, support for the consumer in the event of a complaint. This offer is open to all gas subscribers served by the national distributor, GRDF, until December 31, 2024. And good news, it is compatible with the energy check.
This is not the association's first attempt. It launched the first group purchases of gas in autumn winter 2013/2014 and proposed the equivalent for electricity in 2023.
