After seventy-seven years of loyal service, the regulated gas tariff ends this Saturday, July 1, 2023. News that makes you hyperventilate for several options:
– You’ve never heard of this thing.
– You don’t even know if you are one of the beneficiaries of the regulated gas tariff. Or not.
– You are one of them, and you don’t know what to do after July 1st.
Do not panic ! 20 minutes is here for you again. And explains everything to you.
What was the regulated rate?
Established in 1946 by the State, the regulated gas tariff still concerned 2.5 million households in France – out of the 11 million connected to gas, mainly at the supplier Engie. Added to this are the 2.4 million customers who have subscribed to a contract indexed to this same regulated tariff from alternative suppliers. Admittedly, even with the regulated tariff, the prices were variable. The bill changed every month, depending on purchase costs in wholesale markets, storage costs, transport costs and taxes. But these variations were small and firmly framed, avoiding excessive fluctuations – and unpleasant surprises.
Judged as contrary to European law and “an obstacle to the creation of a competitive gas market” by the Council of State in 2017, it is no longer possible to subscribe to the regulated tariff since 2019. And this Saturday, July 1, it definitely comes to an end.
How do I know if I am affected?
For three years, five letters have been sent to customers, the last of which in March 2023. “But these letters have often been taken for advertising”, deplores UFC-Que Choisir. You can contact your supplier or look at your last gas bill: a blue “Gas regulated tariff” logo is affixed at the top, on the left.
What should I do if I am affected?
“We advise not to do anything,” says Lucie Buisson, energy-environment project manager at UFC-Que-Choisir. Explanation: by doing nothing, you switch to a “Gateway” offer from your current supplier, which more or less resembles that of the regulated tariff. “An offer supervised by the public authorities and which ensures a good level of protection against excessive price variations”, she specifies.
Understand that there too, the gas price will change every month, but slightly. “If you are a client at the regulated tariff, the world will not change for you”, reassures Nicolas Goldberg, Senior Manager Energy at Colombus Consulting. The changeover takes place automatically and immediately, for as long as you want.
What if I want to change provider?
No problem for that either. At any time, it is possible to change supplier and leave the “Passerelle” offer free of charge. On the other hand, be careful, it’s a one-way ticket: “Once you have left the Passerelle offer, it is impossible to return to it”, specifies Lucie Buisson. The gas network being the same regardless of the supplier, “there will be no cuts or other. This will be done automatically, ”reassures Nicolas Goldberg again. It is also your new supplier who will take care of unsubscribing from the old one, so you only have to subscribe to a new contract, no need to terminate the other one.
There are two free comparators to look at the offers of the different suppliers: on the site of the energy mediator and on the UFC-Que Choisir website, which make it possible to carry out simulations according to housing and household consumption. “Beware, however, warns Lucie Buisson. Rates are set monthly, and there can be much more volatile changes. An offer that seems interesting at the beginning can quickly turn out to be very expensive”.
For Nicolas Goldberg, “the end of the regulated tariff may be an opportunity to change supplier, or at least to take an interest in their offer. In particular, you can look for a supplier with a fixed price, which avoids any variation over the months. Far from being the end of the world, then.