Maud Descamps 8:13 a.m., September 14, 2021
Faced with the soaring price of gas and electricity, the executive is considering increasing the amount of the energy check, a device supposed to help the most modest households.
This could take the form of a broadening of the beneficiary base, as was the case in 2019.
DECRYPTION
Many French people have noticed this on their electricity or gas bills: prices have been soaring for several months.
A few weeks ago, regulated gas prices increased another 8%.
Electricity prices rose 6% in June.
The government is considering a boost for the poorest households.
The idea would be to boost the energy check, already distributed to 6 million low-income households.
Its amount is now on average 150 euros and could therefore be revised upwards to help the most fragile households to cope with the surge in energy prices.
No creation of another device?
The subject is currently on the table at Matignon.
"But nothing is settled," we warn, namely neither the amount of aid, nor the criteria for benefiting from it.
It could, for example, be enlarged.
This was already the case in 2019 after the "yellow vests" crisis, going from 3.6 to 6 million beneficiary households.
In any case, the decision should be made by the fall.
>> Find all the newspapers of the editorial staff of Europe 1 in replay and podcast here
On the Bercy side, it is indicated that if a financial boost was decided, then it would be more judicious to rely on the energy check already well identified by the beneficiaries, rather than creating from scratch a new tax system. However, there are other avenues for reflection, in particular the elimination of certain taxes on energy which inflate the bill. This is what some consumer defense associations are calling for.