With this reinforced liter discount, the energy company, under pressure from the executive, hopes to avoid the threat of a tax on “superprofits”, brandished by several political groups.
challenged by the leftwho accuses him of carrying outsuperprofits» Thanks to the rise in energy prices, TotalEnergies is stepping up its actions to relieve the portfolio of its customers. In a press release published this Friday morning, the group announces a “massive fuel price reduction program“, which completes its system already in place for a few months.
In detail, TotalEnergies will grant in all its stations in France, from September 1 to November 1, a discount of 20 cents per litre, in addition to that granted by the government. In metropolitan France, therefore, the reduction will rise to 38 cents per liter, leading to a price drop of 15 euros on a full 40 liters, for example. Between November and December, the drop will still be in place but half as much, amounting to only 10 cents. These reductions will applyfrom the first liter purchased, with no limit on the amount, for all petroleum fuels sold at stations“says the company.
Asked about BFMTV, the Minister of Economy and Finance welcomed the announcement of TotalEnergies, welcoming “the sense of responsibilityof the company. Of the “intense discussionsconducted with the energy company have convinced him, explained Bruno Le Maire, who was delighted with a decision to restore purchasing power directly to households: “I prefer a thousand times money for the French to a tax for the public treasury“, he said.
A way to avoid increased taxation
This commitment takes place less than a month after a strengthening of the discount granted by TotalEnergies, increased, at the end of June, from 10 to 12 cents. But this effort, limited only to stations close to the motorways, had been considered insufficient, both by the government and by the elected members of the National Assembly, who debated at length, on the occasion of the examination of the bill on the purchasing power, opportunity introduce a tax on profits made by the energy giants in recent months.
If he was reluctant, the executive did not completely close the door to this lead, brandishing it as a threat in order to push the companies concerned to do more to protect the portfolio of households: “We ask them to make an effort. I am thinking in particular of Total and CMA CGM. They made the first commitments. Should they do more? Certainly yes. We will do the accounts during the 2023 finance bill“, warned the boss of Bercy, Bruno Le Maire, in an interview with Le Monde, this week. On BFMTV, Friday morning, the same congratulated himself on having avoided the creation of a “umpteenth tax», rising against «intellectual fraudof Nupes.
This announcement by TotalEnergies is therefore not devoid of interest for the energy company, which hopes to appease the anger of opposition parliamentarians. The company makes no secret of it: “With this massive price reduction program in our stations, we hope that this long-term commitment, which will be heard by our customers, will also be heard by the national representation”comments its CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, quoted in the press release.
It remains to be seen whether this new effort will be deemed sufficient by elected officials, because if fuel prices have been falling for a month, a liter of diesel or gasoline still costs more than 1.9 euros, on average. The bill therefore remains salty. It could however be alleviated by an agreement between LR and the presidential majority, which should lead to a strengthening of the rebate per liter put in place by the State. Combined with the efforts of companies like TotalEnergies, as well as a measure specifically targeting workers forced to take their car, these measures should significantly lower the score at the start of the school year, Bruno Le Maire wanted to believe on Friday.