According to the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), watchdog of the sector, the “average benchmark price” of the kWh, which had a tendency to fall in recent months, will be established for July at around 13 cents, an increase of 11. 7% compared to the June index (around 11 CTS/kWh).
An increase to be put into perspective according to the CRE: this July price remains lower (-3.5%) than that of January, which marked the end of the tariff shield, the subsidy mechanism launched at the end of 2021 to protect households from excessive increases during the energy crisis, fueled by the post-Covid recovery and the war in Ukraine. In addition, this “benchmark price” is “indicative” and suppliers remain “free” to pass it on or not, underlines the CRE. It is possible to bring in competition by referring, for example, to the Energy Mediator’s online comparator.
Revaluation of transport costs
According to the latter, however, “the vast majority of consumers will see this increase reflected in their bills”, i.e. most of the 10 million residential customers connected to GRDF. Why this increase now? Because of a rebound effect of prices on the gas markets where the operators obtain their supplies and, above all, because of the significant revaluation for 4 years of the gas transmission costs borne by the distribution network manager GRDF.
This “toll”, invoiced to suppliers and accounting for a third of the bill, must be increased in the face of increased maintenance and modernization expenses for gas infrastructures, while allowing the integration of green gas into the pipes. And this, especially since it becomes more difficult to distribute these costs while the number of gas subscribers falls: -197,000 between the end of 2022 and the end of 2023, according to the CRE.
