End of the regulated gas tariff: our answers to your questions – Economy
1 Am I affected by the end of this tariff?
2.5 million customers (out of 11 million) still have a regulated gas tariff. Only Engie and local distributors still offer it. But this tariff will end on June 30, 2023, as it is deemed contrary to European law.
To find out if you have a regulated gas tariff, just look at your bill, which indicates it. At Engie, this is signified by a blue “Gas regulated tariff” logo. You should also have received one or more official information letters indicating that you are affected by the cancellation of your “Regulated tariff” contract.
If you are with TotalEnergies, OHM, Eni… you have already switched to a market offer, so you are not concerned.
2 Will the regulated electricity tariff also be abolished?
No, the regulated electricity tariff is not affected by this deletion.
3 What will happen on July 1st if I do nothing?
Your gas supply will not be cut off. If you have not switched to a market offer, you will automatically be switched to a new contract. At Engie, the new offer is called “Passerelle”. Can be canceled at any time free of charge, the price of gas will be indexed to a reference indicator calculated by the Energy Regulation Commission. According to the supplier, a price increase cannot be ruled out, but it will remain marginal. Please note: this relay offer could be less attractive than the market offers offered by competitors.
4 What are my other solutions?
You can also choose to take out another contract, called a market contract. At your current supplier or a competitor. Be careful, however: the period involves “a risk of a resurgence of aggressive canvassing” by suppliers, fears the National Energy Ombudsman. Two pieces of advice: “You have to take the time and not sign a proposal immediately at the time of canvassing” and “never rely on commercial proposals formulated on the amount of the monthly payments, which can change: the price must be proposed and formulated by kilowatt-hour”.
5 Which offers to avoid?
The Energy Ombudsman strongly advises against subscribing to a contract indexed to the wholesale price, subject to strong fluctuations which can very quickly cause the bill to explode. It is rather necessary to turn to fixed price offers, to remain sheltered from sharp increases, or to those indexed to a benchmark. Beware, too, of offers that seem a little too tempting: to help you choose, the Energy Regulatory Commission publishes a “reference tariff” on its website every month. The Energy Ombudsman also offers an independent comparator of offers, depending on your situation.
6 Do you have to pay to terminate your contract with Engie?
No it’s free. You don’t even have to cancel manually: it happens automatically when you sign a contract with a new supplier.
7 Do I not risk disappointments if I leave Engie for a supplier less present in the territory?
No, because in all cases, meter readings, gas cut-off and restoration operations, maintenance on the network, etc. are provided by GrDF, regardless of the supplier.
8 I have a market offer whose price per kWh is indexed to the regulated tariffs. What will happen with the end of this tariff?
It all depends on what your supplier decides. The new conditions of the offer will be explained to you by mail. At TotalEnergies, for example, the price of kWh may change monthly upwards or downwards “according to a formula reflecting gas prices in France”. “This formula, which is an extension of the current regulated gas tariff formula, is recommended by the Energy Regulation Commission,” explains TotalEnergies.
9 Will the price shield on gas be abolished?
No, the “tariff shield on gas will be extended until the end of the year and the tariff shield on electricity until the end of 2024”, confirmed Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition.
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