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Gas bills to increase in France this summer

Households in France will see their gas bills rise in July - due to the fact that fewer people are now using gas for heating or cooking.

Published: 5 February 2024 11:08 CET
Gas bills to increase in France this summer
The flame of a gas stove in France (Photo by PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP)

Households in France will see gas bills rise again in July 2024, the head of France’s energy regulation commission (Commission de Régulation de l’Energie) Emmanuelle Wargon told French media on Sunday.

Tariffs are expected to go up by between 5.5 and 10.4 percent, according to figures published by the CRE last week.

How much would that amount to for households?

A 5.5 percent increase would mean an extra €7.30 per month for the average customer that uses gas to heat their home. This would represent an increase of €87.60 per year. 

For those using gas only for hot water and/or cooking, the increase would be closer to 10.4 percent, equal to €2.20 per month. This would represent an increase of €26.40 per year.

Why the increase?

Households may be surprised that gas tariffs will go up in 2024, given the fact that the benchmark price for gas has been falling in recent months. 

However, Wargon explained to Franceinfo that a lot of it has to do with decreasing gas consumption.

“An individual’s gas bill combines the price of the gas molecule itself, as well as the fact that gas has to pass through pipes. These pipes need to be maintained, and they must be replaced when they fail,” Wargon told the French news outlet.

As such, with fewer households using gas, the cost of maintenance is spread amongst fewer customers.

“It’s good news that consumption is falling, it’s good for the planet, and it’s also good for our purchasing power, because we’re consuming less.

“But as we still need the pipes as much as ever, and as we still demand the same quality and safety, if we spread the cost of using the network amongst a smaller group, inevitably each consumer ends up paying a little bit more”, Wargon said.

A greener future

Increased tariffs will also be used to help finance a new biomethane (renewable natural gas) infrastructure, as part of the ‘energy transition’. 

“[Biomethane] is produced locally, often by farmers or sometimes at waste management facilities. These facilities will need to be connected to the gas network, which is part of the tariff. These investments will help increase biomethane usage and therefore gradually reduce the proportion of fossil fuels in the gas we use,” Wargon added.

What about electricity?

In February, electricity rates went up by 8.6 percent for most households in France (those on basic rate plans), and by 9.8 percent for those on ‘peak-off-peak’ (tarifs heures pleines-heures creuses) plans.

France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire promised in January that this would be “the last increase for 2024”, adding that the next price rise for electricity would not be until February 2025.

On average, households will pay around €100 more per year.

A four-room home heated by electricity only could see bills increase by €18 a month, while a one-bedroom apartment heated by electricity would see increases closer to €8.30 per month, the finance ministry told French media.

Member comments

  1. Was the reason for the price increase for electricity the same … maintenance of existing grid, construction of new power plants, etc.? 🤔

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Why you might get a letter about French benefits

France is introducing stricter residency requirements for certain benefits, including those that foreigners in France can qualify for, and has begun sending letters out to recipients.

Published: 30 April 2024 14:07 CEST
Why you might get a letter about French benefits

In April, the French government passed a decree that will tighten up residency requirements for different types of benefits, including the old-age top-up benefit.

Previously, the rule for most benefits was residency in France for at least six months of the previous year to qualify, though some required eight months and others, like the RSA (a top-up for people with little to no income) requires nine months’ residency per year.

However, the government announced in 2023 its intention to increase the period to nine months for several different programmes – which was put into decree in April – in an effort to combat social security fraud, as well as to standardise the system.

The changes, which will go into effect at the start of 2025, do not affect access to healthcare – foreigners can still access French public healthcare as long as they have been resident here for a minimum of three months. 

Similarly, the rules for accessing chômage (unemployment benefits) have not changed yet. Currently, you must have worked for at least six months out of the last 24 months to be eligible, as well as meeting other criteria including how you left your previous job.

This may change in the future, however, with the French government poised to reform the unemployment system again.

READ MORE: How France plans cuts to its generous unemployment system

Which benefits are affected?

The old-age benefit – or the ASPA – will apply the new nine month requirement. Previously, people needed to be in France for at least six months out of the year to qualify.

If you receive this benefit already, you will probably get a letter in the mail in the near future informing you of the change – this is a form letter and does not necessarily mean that your benefits will change.

If you are already a recipient – and you live in France for at least nine months out of the year – then you do not need to worry about your access to the ASPA changing.

If you want to access this benefit, it is available to certain foreigners, even though it is intended to help elderly (over 65) French citizens with low state pensions.

It is only available to foreigners who have been living legally in France for at least 10 years, and starting in 2025 you will need to spend nine out of 12 months a year in France. You can find more information at THIS French government website.

Otherwise, prestations familiales, or family benefits will be affected by the new nine month residency rule. These are available to foreigners with valid residency cards, as long as their children also live in France.

This includes the family allowance (given out by CAF), which is available for families on low incomes with more than two children, as well as the ‘Prime à la Naissance’, which is a means-tested one-off allowance paid in the seventh month of pregnancy to effectively help with the start-up costs of becoming a parent, will also be affected by the new nine month residency rule. 

READ MORE: France’s family benefit system explained

If you receive these benefits already, then you will likely receive a letter explaining the changes shortly.

And finally – the RSA, which is the top-up benefit for people with little to no income, was already held to the nine month standard, so there will be no residency-related changes.

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