Not a whatever it costs, but a cost all the same.
The "tariff shield" on energy prices has amounted to 24 billion euros since its deployment in the fall of 2021 to cushion the shock of inflation, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday evening. .
The most costly measure relates to electricity: over the year 2022, the State will have spent 10.5 billion euros to cap the increase in electricity prices at 4%.
The bill for the rebate on fuel prices will amount to 7.5 billion euros.
Launched in April, the device has been beefed up for the months of September and October with state support of 30 cents per liter, against 18 cents so far.
Finally, the gas price freeze should cost 6 billion euros between October 2021 and October 2022, estimates Bercy, who specifies that the figures "are intended to evolve according to energy prices", very volatile in recent months .
Supplies at risk
Last week, the price of electricity crossed the bar of 1,000 euros per megawatt hour, while gas is trading at more than 300 euros per megawatt hour.
Tensions over gas are explained by the drying up of flows from Russia, which is thus responding to the economic sanctions decided by the Europeans in reaction to its military offensive against Ukraine.
The electricity supply is threatened by the low production of the French nuclear fleet: only 24 of the 56 nuclear reactors in the country are currently operating, the 32 others being shut down for scheduled maintenance operations or for corrosion problems.
Energy vouchers
In a study published Thursday, INSEE highlighted the positive impact of the tariff shield on the inflation rate.
Between the second quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022, the period covered by the study, "the rise in energy prices contributed to 3.1 points of inflation out of a total of 5.3%", according to the Insee.
Without the tariff shield, "inflation between the second quarters of 2021 and 2022 would have been 3.1 points higher", estimates the National Institute of Statistics.
The government, which is currently preparing the finance bill for 2023, has promised that the rise in gas and electricity prices will remain "contained" after the expiry of the tariff shield on December 31, 2022. "Energy vouchers" will also be distributed to the most modest households to help them pay their energy bills.
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