The government has to deal with inflation and is currently preparing targeted responses to support households in the face of the very significant rise in energy prices. For the increase in fuel, an indemnity is envisaged to take precedence over the discount at the pump. For electricity and gas tariffs, what will happen following the tariff shield?
Make the richest pay more for electricity and gas and the poorest cheaper? This is one of the tracks put forward by Bruno Le Maire, facing François Lenglet, this Sunday July 10 on LCI.
Indeed, the tariff shield, which has so far contained the rise in gas and electricity prices, is due to end on 31 December. How will this happen then, faced with a very likely rise in energy prices, which will have a direct impact on the bill of the French?
Adapt your response according to income
The government is anticipating on all fronts, and in the same vein that the fuel allowance, currently in preparation, the government might well adapt its response to the income of the French in terms of gas and electricity.
“We’re starting to target those who need it the most. We’re doing it on fuel. I think, like the Prime Minister, it will be necessary from January 1, 2023 that on electricity and gas we will help more those who need it but for us to be able to do this, there must also be increases for those who can afford it,” said the Minister of the Economy.
The day before, Elisabeth Borne had already addressed the issue, explaining that “we can’t imagine asking the French, starting with the modest French, to pay 45% more for their gas or a third more for their electricity”. However, given the cost of the tariff shield for the State, “we must move from general mechanisms to more targeted mechanisms”.
Increases to be expected
“That means that we will take into account the level of people’s income”, then clarified Bruno Le Maire, without providing further details for the time being.
So far, the tariff shield put in place at the end of last year has contained the rise in invoices. Without this shield, according to the minister, “the gas price should have increased by 50%, the French have seen zero increase”. Regarding electricity, it should have increased by 35% and has only increased by 4%, the Minister further underlines.
The shield will be maintained in full until December 31, 2022, said Bruno le Maire. “But from January 1, depending on the prices of electricity and gas, it will be necessary to pass a certain number of increases, depending on the level of income”.