New measures apply from this Monday, July 1. Le Figaro takes stock of the expected changes.
Traditionally dedicated to holidays for at least some French people, this year, the month of July promises to be busy, to say the least. Legislative elections, constitution of a new government, opening ceremony and first events of the Olympic Games… Many upheavals are planned in the coming weeks. There are also other more administrative changes, like every month. Le Figaro takes stock of these planned changes that affect your daily life.
Energy: towards a further rise in gas prices
This is bad news for the government: between the two rounds of the legislative elections, this July 1, the price of gas will increase by 11.7% on average. A decision announced in mid-June, which aims firstly to absorb the rise in prices, on the one hand, and the surge in supply costs borne by the network manager, GRDF, on the other hand. “Be careful, this follows a series of successive declines in recent months, and we are not returning to a level as high as in January”nuanced, during the announcement, the boss of the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), Emmanuelle Wargon.
According to the CRE, this new change in the benchmark price for the sale of natural gas will bring the average annual bill for a residential customer with a variable-price gas offer to 1,184 euros, compared to 1,060 euros previously. A significant increase, therefore. If suppliers remain “free” whether or not to pass on the increase to the bill, a majority of customers should experience this increase.
Read alsoEurope is not armed enough to face a future gas crisis
New labels in supermarkets
A little novelty will arrive on the shelves of your favorite supermarket from this Monday: from July 1, supermarkets of more than 400m² will have to put a label or a poster on products that have undergone a «shrinkflation». In other words, a good whose quantity has decreased without its price decreasing accordingly, or even increasing despite everything, will be identified. It could thus be indicated: “For this product, the quantity sold increased from X to Y and its price in (specify the unit of measurement concerned) increased by …% or …€”cites the order. A way to inform consumers.
Large areas not complying with this obligation “will be liable to an administrative fine the amount of which may reach 3,000 euros for a natural person and 15,000 euros for a legal entity”specifies the text of the decree. The agents of the Fraud Repression will control these practices.
A new savings product for the youngest
Announced in the Green Industry law passed last year, the “future climate savings plan” will be available from July 1st. This system, which aims to offer a more attractive return than a Livret A savings account, will finance low-carbon projects, such as wind or photovoltaic power. Objective: “mobilizing the savings of young people in favor of the ecological transition”, according to the government. Although it can be opened from the birth of a child, it remains reserved for those under 21 and its amounts are blocked until the individual reaches the age of majority. The ceiling of this new savings product is set at 22,950 euros, and its returns, which are not guaranteed, are net of tax.
An evolution of DPE for small areas
While the real estate market remains tight in France, the executive is slightly relaxing the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) in an attempt to bring some breathing space to the sector. Specifically, from July 1, homes of 40m² or less will see their method of calculating the energy label modified, in order to remove a certain number of properties from the category “energy sieves”synonymous with rental ban.
Please note, DPEs carried out between July 2021 and July 2024 for a concerned accommodation may be the subject of a document attesting to the new label.
Read alsoHow these thermal strainers gained up to 4 letters on their DPE
Unemployment insurance: an expected revaluation
Job seekers will be able to benefit from a little boost. On July 1, unemployment benefits will be increased by 1.2%, a measure that should benefit two million people. Total cost: 150 million euros this year. This is the third increase in two years.
On the other hand, the expected decree to specify the reform of unemployment insurance has not yet been published: the executive will not publish it before June 30 at midnight, the deadline from which the current rules cease to apply. apply. This slight delay of a few hours, or even a few days, should however have no consequences for those mainly concerned.
Read alsoUnemployment insurance reform: the decree will finally be published after June 30, according to the Ministry of Labor
Insurance: a slight increase in the “attack” tax
As of July 1, insurance contracts will cost slightly more. On that date, the tax will increase “attack” : this, collected for each home or car insurance contract, is used to finance the guarantee fund for victims of acts of terrorism and other offences (FGTI). Its amount, fixed, will increase from 5.9 to 6.5 euros per year. An increase of 60 cents, therefore.
Automobile: an innovation to improve safety
A little news for drivers: from July, new vehicles placed on the market and registered for the first time must be equipped with a system “intelligent speed adaptation” (AIV), in order to limit the risk of accidents on the road.
Concretely, this modification required under a 2019 European regulation reads road signs with on-board cameras and/or using the vehicle’s GPS system. It then compares the maximum authorized speed with the actual speed of the vehicle. The system “is activated if you drive, without realizing it, beyond the authorized speed on the road you are using (departmental road, national road, motorway, etc.)”. The driver is necessarily warned by a visual alert from his vehicle, but it can also emit an audible signal, or even cause deceleration, depending on what the owner decides.
Read alsoAudible signal, harder accelerator… New cars will have to be equipped with an “intelligent” speed limiter
Taxes: opening of the service to correct your declaration in the event of an error or omission
If the income declaration campaign is now finished, you will soon be able to correct any oversight or error. The online service dedicated to these modifications will open on July 31, until December 4 inclusive. “Access to this service is reserved for users who have declared their income online on impots.gouv.fr or from theapplication impots.gouv.fr »the administration specifies.
Taxpayers who have completed a paper declaration cannot access this service: in their case, it will be necessary “send by mail – before the filing deadline – a corrective declaration to the personal tax service (SIP) on which you depend”.
Summer sales last three more weeks in mainland France
Expected by some consumers, the sales started this Wednesday, June 26. This period regulated by law will extend until Tuesday, July 23 for the majority of departments in mainland France, with a few exceptions. In Corsica, they will last from July 10 to August 6, and the dates also vary in the overseas departments: in Guadeloupe, the sales will run from the end of September to the end of October, in Réunion from the beginning of September to the beginning of October, and in Martinique, the entire month of October, for example.
