• On January 23, bakers will take to the streets to express their concern or anger at rising energy prices.

  • Other craftsmen are also victims of high electricity or gas bills.

    20 Minutes

    went to meet them.

  • In the Alpes-Maritimes, the Verrerie de Biot, which employs nine glass blowers, the electricity bill has been multiplied by three after tough negotiations "but it will not be sustainable in the medium term", explain its managers. .

In the workshop of the Verrerie de Biot, near Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), two large ovens purr.

On the meters that display their electricity expenditure, the figures scroll.

And the kilowatt hours are piling up.

In the vats, twelve incandescent resistors heat molten glass 24 hours a day.

At a temperature that can flirt with 1,400°C.

“You can't stop them for short periods without damaging them.

They have to run constantly,” explains Serge Lechaczinsky, co-manager with his sister Anne.

For several months, the energy crisis has weighed on the accounts of this institution on the Côte d'Azur, founded in 1956. And even jeopardizes its sustainability.

By struggling, the duo managed to limit the increase in their bill to “three times the usual price, but this will not be sustainable in the medium term”.

Changes to survive

For visitors to this “living heritage enterprise”, nothing has changed.

The nine glass blowers, the specialty of the place, who take turns, always ensure the show.

But behind the scenes, the two managers, themselves, offer cold sweats.

“The energy crisis has only been on our minds for four months.

We went out of our way to control our bills”, breathes Serge Lechaczinsky.

In addition to these two melting furnaces, which are permanently on, the company must also supply its gas-fired reheating furnaces, which make it possible to shape the glass, and its three "annealing" furnaces, also electric, which are essential for stabilizing finished products.

In parallel with all its energy expenditure, to further limit breakage, “and since everything is increasing”, the Verrerie de Biot has stocked up.

“We have our materials and supplies a year ahead of schedule.

In particular, we have our glass stock to last until the end of 2023. When we placed the orders, we were already between 15% and 20% more expensive than usual.

Now, we are rather between 20% and 100% increase depending on the things we need, ”explains the co-manager.

Bills and pain for customers

The Verrerie de Biot contract in “yellow meter”, reserved for professionals, at 70,000 euros per year, expired on December 31, 2022. “We started by offering us a price multiplied by ten, explains Serge Lechaczinsky.

It was unthinkable.

You could put the key directly under the door.

“As a result of discussion, the two managers are offered a bill seven times more expensive by their supplier.

Always way too much.

They finally called on a specialized company and validated an offer tripling their initial bill “through a broker who buys in bulk”.

A decision that can only be “temporary, while waiting for better”.

And which will inevitably have an impact on the company's catalog.

“In ten years, we have only increased our prices by 9%.

There we will have to make them climb suddenly from 10% to 15%, laments the co-manager.

But still, it will still not be tenable in the medium term if we stay on this energy bill there.

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Our dossier on the energy crisis

State or community aid?

“We met the elected officials, who are behind us.

We asked the Minister [of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire] to also take care of our case.

They worked for the bakers, it's our turn, argues Serge Lechaczinsky.

Otherwise, a lot of small businesses won't make it.

The glass factory is not part of the “1.5 million VSEs with less than 10 employees, 2 million euros in turnover and having an electricity meter with a power of less than 36 kVA”, which “are eligible to the tariff shield for individuals", according to the provisions taken by the Ministry of the Economy.

But in fact, the Biotoise company is eligible for the "electricity shock absorber" which makes it possible "to cover around 20% of the total electricity bill" and can also call on the "help desk for the payment of bills of gas and electricity.

Help is welcome but may not be enough.

How does he see himself in January 2024?

“If we stay in this configuration, we may not finish the year”, assures Serge Lechaczinsky, explaining that he and his sister have “already pledged their respective houses”.

Alarmist?

“Realistic,” he replies.

"If prices don't drop, worse, if they go up again, we won't be able to continue," he said.

Customers will not be able to follow the price increases that would be necessary on our products”.

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  • Nice

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  • 20 minute video