Regulated electricity tariffs will increase by 15% on 1 February. Is your energy contract concerned? Should you change it? MoneyVox takes stock.
After those of gas in January, on February 1, 2023, EDF’s regulated electricity prices (TRV) will increase by 15%, according to the terms of the tariff shield put in place by the government. Nevertheless, if the calculation scales had been respected, the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE) recalls that the real increase should have been 99.36% compared to the regulated prices of February 1, 2022 for private customers. On that date, the government had decided to limit the increase in TRV prices to 4% for the whole year.
15%: this increase is equivalent, on average, to 20 euros more for those who use electricity with a regulated tariff contract. This is indeed an average because depending on the paid fare option chosen, the additional amount to be paid may vary. In this context, are you interested in changing contracts and suppliers?
If I have a contract at the regulated EDF tariff
First clue: as for gas where it is advisable not to touch your contract despite the announced end of TRV in June, the regulated prices offered by EDF are the most protective for the consumer, even with the 15% increase in February. Indeed, at the end of 2022, some suppliers offering indexed offers on the market imposed price increases of between 80 and 110% on their customers.
In electricity, if you left TRV for a market offer, you can reverse gear free of charge and without interruption.
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If I have a contract indexed to the regulated rate
If you have a contract taken out with an alternative supplier but this one is TRV index, you also benefit from the benefit of the tariff shield, for both electricity and gas. There is no need to change, for the moment, even with a 15% increase in February.
The crisis has highlighted a new quality of regulated sales tariffs, in electricity and gas, which is quite simply that of contractual security, repeats the consumer defense association CLCV. With the regulated tariff, you know that it will not increase by 40, 50 or even 60%, adds the general delegate of the CLCV Franois Carlier.
In total, 21 of the 33million electricity contracts taken out in France are at regulated tariffs.
If I have an index contract on the market
If your contract is market price index, the situation becomes more complicated. You are not affected by the 15% increase in the regulated price. But since October 2021, many customers have seen their bills double or triple. Since then, the energy mediator has multiplied warnings and calls to order against several suppliers who have either increased their prices – up to +111% at Mint! – or ceased, without warning, their activity and left their customers in the dark.
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Indeed, many alternative players have simply withdrawn from the market in recent months. At present, the few indexed offers on the market offered to customers are more expensive than the retail price. These indexed contracts on the wholesale market are said to be variable. because they constantly fluctuate.
If you are the holder of a contract like this, it is in your interest to change it to return to the regulated electricity rate. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible for gas.
If I have a fixed price contract
There are also other offers that are a priori favorable to customers. Those are fixed price contracts, for gas and electricity. In this case, the tariff is guaranteed for 12, 24 or 36 months, regardless of market movements or changes in regulated tariffs.
If you have a fixed price offer, signed before energy prices soar in 2022, keep your contract as is. Fixed price offers have disappeared from the market today, because too expensive for the suppliers. But watch out for the lucky date. Once passed, your supplier can change the price of your contract.
At the end of the period during which the financial conditions are defined, the suppliers offer tacit renewal, with conditions that correspond to their own supply policy and their sales policy, explains the broker Opra nergie. The new renewal conditions that will be proposed are to be examined very closely, as they may lead to a significant change in the budgetfor the same consumption.