The French Gas Association (AFG) publishes Thursday, in the context of an unprecedented energy crisis, recommendations to better cope with the surge in gas prices in France and, more broadly, to secure the European market in the event of a cut. total Russian gas.
For French companies in difficulty, the two proposals put forward by the interprofessional union of the gas industry are already included in the aid package announced at the end of October by the government for an amount of 12 billion euros.
The AFG thus cites in its recommendations the extension of the tariff shield to SMEs and VSEs and the fact of committing the main electricity suppliers to offer at least one offer to their professional customers.
Now, what will have to be monitored is the ease of accessing these various aids, and that the price increases are still acceptable, explains AFP the general delegate of the AFG Thierry Chapuis.
On the household side, the AFG wishes in particular to extend the exceptional checks for fuel oil, from 100 or 200 euros, to off-grid gas, or to other energies such as butane-propane or wood used for heating.
Finally, the association of gas producers recommends granting VAT reductions to people who opt for a gas made up of half biomethane.
At the European level, Thierry Chapuis says he is in favor of the temporary price framework wanted by the Member States on the TTF market, the benchmark for European gas transactions.
While France was only 17% dependent on Russian gas before the energy crisis, taking advantage of other sources of supply, Europe was 45% dependent on it.
Long-term structural measures will be needed at European level, according to Mr Chapuis.
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European countries must continue to diversify their sources of supply but also return from long-term gas supply contracts that are less indexed to short-term contracts that are victims of price volatility to avoid a spiraling effect.
Then, we need infrastructures that are large enough and robust enough to adapt to different gas supply scenarios and also to accelerate the development of renewable or low-carbon gases.
Mr. Chapuis is not really worried about the coming winter, but the winter of 2023-2024 is likely to be more complicated, in particular to build up reserves, in the face of reduced or even zero flows of Russian gas.
If we have to help our neighbors and therefore fill our storage less, there could be a European balancing act with the gas versus electricity deal requested by Emmanuel Macron which could last, he says.