With an inflation of around 6% in recent months, France is one of the best students in the European Union. A result due to the amortization measures implemented and, in particular, the tariff shield on gas and electricity bills, argues the government after the increase in energy prices (+290% for gas since mid-2021).
Without this shield, the French bill would have skyrocketed much more, as Emmanuelle Wargon, president of the Energy Regulation Commission, pointed out a few days ago: “If the theoretical rate had been applied, there would have been a 100% increase in the bill since October”.
A finding confirmed by INSEE in a study published on Thursday. “The first price shield measure, the freezing of regulated gas prices at their October 2021 level, prevented a 47% increase in regulated prices between October 2021 and June 2022, which could otherwise be expected. have been carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE)”.
+3.1 inflation points without shield
“The second consists of a cap on the increase in the regulated rates for the sale of electricity during its review, on February 1, 2022. These rates, which are updated twice a year, therefore have not increased between August 2021 and February 2021 only 4% taxes included. 2022, and have since stabilized. This compares with an increase of 35.4% with taxes included, an increase recommended by the CRE following the usual formula,” the institute continues.
A strong argument for the government that has to face opposition attacks on the effectiveness of this shield. “Without” this device, “the increase in gas and electricity prices would be at least 100% next year,” stressed Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, on Wednesday.
“The shield measures particularly mitigate inflation for the poorest and oldest households,” adds the statistician. “The rise in energy prices between the second quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022 increases inflation by 3.3 points for households in the first tenth, compared to 2.7 points for those in the highest tenth ”, specifies-t-we.
A global increase in energy prices capped at 28% vs. 54% without shielding
On the fuel side, “a shield measure in the form of a discount at the pump of 15 euro cents without taxes limited the increase in the price at the pump between the second quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022 to 34%, instead of the 46%”.
More generally, overall inflation has been cut “by half”, INSEE adds. “The tariff shield measures have reduced these effects by half; in the absence of the shield, inflation between the second quarter of 2021 and 2022 would have been 3.1 points higher”, it can be read.
In conclusion, “between the second quarters of 2021 and 2022, when combining the increase in the price of electricity, gas and oil products (and therefore of gasoline), energy prices thus increase by 28% for the homes. This increase would have been double. without shielding measures (+54%). For companies, which depend more than households on electricity, energy is 20% more expensive, compared to 50% without shielding”, underlines the study.
Source: BFM TV
