In December, the benchmark price of gas will start to rise again, announces the CRE. After falling by 1% in November, gas prices will increase again during the last month of the year. However, suppliers are free to follow or not the evolution of the benchmark selling price of natural gas (PRVG).
After increasing sharply in July and October, the benchmark gas price fell by 1% in November. For a household using gas for cooking or hot water, the price of the average kWh increased from 0.140 euros in October to 0.138 euros in November. For a gas heating contract, the price of the average kWh fell from 0.111 euros in October to 0.109 euros over the same period.
As for the subscription, no change was noted in November. In fact, the price remained exactly the same, i.e. 114.30 for a cooking/hot water contract and 277.43 euros for heating. However, this drop in prices was only ephemeral. In fact, the CRE announces a new increase for the last month of the year. An increase which could be reflected in consumers’ bills.
In detail, in December, the average benchmark price including tax per kWh will increase to 0.14135 euros for households using gas for cooking or hot water, while for heating use, the price will reach 0.11237 euro. The increases will be 2.2 and 2.8% respectively. Regarding the price of the subscription, it remains unchanged. In fact, the average price is 114.30 euros per year for a cooking/hot water contract and 277.43 euros for heating.
What is the reason for this increase in benchmark gas prices?
“This upward restart of the PRVG in December once again illustrates the current volatility of natural gas prices, particularly in a tense international context where the supply of this energy remains delicate,” explains the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir on its website.
Since the end of regulated gas prices, the CRE has published its benchmark sales price every month. Indicated for information purposes only, this price aims to help individuals compare the different offers on the French market. However, out of the thirty offers available, around ten follow the evolution of the PRVG. Consequently, when this benchmark price rises, several suppliers apply corresponding increases to the contracts offered to their customers.
