An increase in electricity bills awaits French citizens.
According to Hamburger Abend Blatt newspaper, in France, due to the gradual cancellation of the electricity price brake plan, people have to prepare for higher bills.
From the beginning of February, the French Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Monday that electricity costs for households and small businesses will rise from 8.6% to 9.8%, bringing costs down to €4.50 per month for a one-person household and €4.50 per month for a four-person household with heating. Electricity will increase by 17.80 euros per month and for bakeries by 116 euros per month. The electricity price brake scheme should therefore be completely removed within a year. The energy price brake for gas already expired in the summer.
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire spoke of a difficult decision, but one that was necessary to be able to invest in new power generation capacities. During the energy price crisis, France kept electricity taxes to a minimum, covering 37 percent of actual costs for consumers and companies, according to the ministry’s calculations. This meant billions of euros in additional burdens for the French public budget. According to this ministry, the continuation of the electricity price brake plan will lead to a decrease of three billion euros in the government budget in 2024.
Nuclear energy is the main source of electricity in France. In 2022, nuclear energy will account for 63% of the country’s energy mix, followed by hydroelectricity with 11%.
The French government recently reopened its coal-fired power plant due to the severe cold and increased energy consumption.
The French government has also recently put the construction of 14 new nuclear power plants on the agenda with the justification that energy has become a weapon of war in the shadow of the Ukraine war.
Thus, in the coming years, France wants to build eight more nuclear power plants in addition to the six already planned, and thus much more than previously planned.
In this way, France wants to reduce the share of fossil fuels in energy consumption from more than 60% currently to 40% in 2035. According to the French energy minister, this goal requires the construction of additional power plants with an output of 13 gigawatts from 2026.