From March 1, canvassing will be prohibited on weekends and public holidays, the price of cigarettes will increase, Total will cap the price of its fuels… Here are the new features that await you next Wednesday.
Will March be a “red March”? In the midst of an inflationary context, several changes in the daily life of the French will take place on 1is March, with in particular the increase in the price of cigarettes, the capping of fuels by Total or even the supervision of telephone canvassing.
Towards an increase in the price of races?
The end of February is marked by negotiations between supermarkets and suppliers to the food industry. They have to agree on prices. Gradually passed on to the shelves, prices might increase significantly due to the inflationary context which weighs on all players.
The president of the Système U brand Dominique Schelcher nevertheless considered that it was “exaggerated” to speak of a “red march” for the inflation of products in supermarkets, because the price increases “will spread in time”, he explained on February 21. Similarly, the day before, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire had assured that there was “no reason” for prices to ignite in March.
The price of cigarettes is rising
Available on customs website, the new cigarette prices will raise the price of some packets to more than 11 euros. This is the case of Marlboro and Winston for example, which will now sell for 11.50 euros (compared to 10.50 euros previously) for a pack.
This price increase is explained by a logic of anti-tobacco control orchestrated by the government. It would have reduced the number of smokers by 1.6 million between 2016 and 2018.
Supervised telephone canvassing
Thanks to a government decree as part of the ban on canvassing at the CPE, commercial calls will be more strictly regulated from 1is March. Indeed, from now on they will only be authorized from Monday to Friday, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., then 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
In addition, they will also be banned on weekends and public holidays and businesses will no longer be able to solicit customers more than four times a month.
Total caps the price of its fuels
The president of the TotalEnergies group, Patrick Pouyanné, announced on February 22, in response to pressure from the government, to cap the price of diesel and gasoline at 1.99 euros per liter for the whole of 2023.
On the same theme, the French will still have one month to claim their fuel allowance of 100 euros, which had replaced the discount at the pump since 1is January.
While around 10 million low- and middle-income people would be eligible, according to the government, the majority have yet to come forward.
The rate of the Action Logement loan on the rise
The interest rate of the Accession loan offered by Action Logement, currently at 0.5%, will increase to 1.5% on March 1.
Reserved for employees of the private sector for the purchase of new housing, social housing or even via a solidarity lease, the rate of this loan nevertheless remains much lower than those of the banks. They are on average above 3%.
Assistance with the installation of geothermal equipment
Following the presentation of the renewable energy acceleration plan by the Ministry of Energy Transition on February 2, all households wishing to switch to geothermal energy will be able to benefit from aid of 5,000 euros, regardless of their income level.
The aid that already existed for the most modest households was then up to 4,000 euros, once morest 2,500 euros for households with intermediate and upper incomes.
Partial refund of the Navigo
Following the multiple disruptions experienced by the Ile-de-France transport networks in recent months, the region announced on February 9 that users would benefit from partial compensation for their Navigo pass.
You will have to wait until March 14 and go to the Ile-de-France Mobilités platform to make your request. It will then suffice to justify a Navigo subscription of at least three months, between September and December of last year. The dedicated space will be open until April 14.
Thus, individuals using four branches of the RER B and D will be affected. The amount reimbursed will be calculated on a case-by-case basis and may reach 122.80 euros.