According to the Minister of the Economy, this aid amounts to a total of “nearly 12 billion euros”.
New burst of government announcements. This Thursday, the executive unveiled its “new support measures for businesses, communities and public institutions“, taken by the throat by soaring energy prices. A way to help players, including VSEs and SMEs, worried about not being able to pay their bills in the coming months. “Our objective is clear: to limit the impact of rising energy prices on our economy“, insisted in the preamble Élisabeth Borne. The stakes are high: despite a decline in recent months, in September, energy prices were up 17.8% over one year, according to INSEE. Le Figaro takes stock of the three systems put in place by the executive.
A “shock absorber” on electricity prices
First, the government will put in place ashock absorber» on electricity prices: the executive will bear part of the bill for VSEs that do not benefit from the tariff shield, SMEs, associations, local authorities and public establishments.
Specifically, this devicewill benefit all entities that have a professional contract“, detailed Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Set up for one year and effective from January 1, it will cover all energy-intensive SMEs and VSEs, such as greenhouses, bakers or butchers, as well as local authorities and associations with more than ten employees, listed the Minister of Energy Transition. This device will apply automatically to invoices, without it being necessary to make a request, and it will concern all contracts already signed, as well as those which will be signed by the end of the year.
Thus, a company will be able to benefit from the reduction in taxes on electricity already recorded – the TICFE -, at the same time as the shock absorber, which will ensure that the State takes charge of “50% of the difference between the contract price […] and a reference price, set around 325 euros per megawattinsisted the Minister for Energy Transition.
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A simplified help desk for ETIs and large industrial companies
The government will alsosimplify and amplify the targeted aid, already in force for companies“, announced Elisabeth Borne. A simplified help desk will thus be opened for the companies that consume the most energy and are not covered by the “electricity damper“, which are intermediate-sized companies (ETI) and large industrial companies.
This counter will be open in mid-November, said Bruno Le Maire. To be eligible, they will have to report an increase in their energy bill of 50% compared to the previous one, that it reaches 3% of their turnover at the end of 2022 and that profits have fallen, to a level that remains under negotiation with the European Commission: the latter has proposed between 40 and 50%, but the government hopes to obtain a threshold of 30%, noted the tenant of Bercy. The aid will also be doubled, rising to 4, 50 or 100 million euros, or even 150 million euros for “the big industrialists», endorsing heavy energy bills.
On the gas,all companies will continue to have access to a simplified window according to the same criteriaadded Bruno Le Maire.
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A “security net» amplified for local authorities
For local authorities, an amendment to the 2023 budget will provide “the extension and amplification of the safety net for the year 2023“, announced Elisabeth Borne. This device will add to the shock absorber on electricity prices. “Communities that have more than 25% gross savings loss will benefit from the net“, specified Christophe Béchu. This device will coverall energy sources» and will allow «to cover 50% of the additional energy cost beyond the revenue dynamicof communities, added the Minister for the Ecological Transition. For communities, the shock absorber and the safety net represent an effort of 2.5 billion euros.
12 billion euros put on the table
In total, according to the executive, 10 billion euros will be devoted to companies – 3 billion already provisioned and 7 billion drawn from the recovery of the exceptional margins of energy companies, decided in the 2023 budget. “helping communities cope with rising energy prices“. That is a total effort of 12 billion euros. “These aids are financed and do not aggravate the debt“, affirmed Bruno Le Maire.
The government reaffirms its desire to modify the European rules
The executive also intends to structurally modify the rules governing the European energy market. “We have been fighting for months to decouple the price of electricity and gas, the price of carbon-free energy and that of fossil fuels. We’ll keep this fight until we win“, Hammered Bruno Le Maire. “The European Commission has an explicit mandate to make proposals“Insisted his colleague, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, for whom the desired modifications will “in the direction of a deeper overhaul of the market“.
The lowered ceiling of the Arenh
Bruno Le Maire announced that the Arenh, i.e. the volume of nuclear electricity that EDF must sell at low prices to its competitors, would be lowered in 2023, to 100 terawatt hours (TWh), i.e. approximately one third of the production of the energy company. This cap was 100 TWh in 2021 and had been raised to 120 TWh this year to help contain rising electricity prices on bills. “This is consistent with the commitments we have made“said the Minister of the Economy.
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