Nearly 12 million French people have difficulties to pay their bills for gas and electricity – The World

These households are in fuel poverty situation : they spend more than 10 % of their income on their energy expenditures.

Nearly 12 million people had difficulty paying their bills of electricity and gas, and the check energy that is being put in place will not help them all, warns the national Observatory of energy precariousness (ONPE) in a review published on Tuesday.

Almost 6 million households are considered to be in fuel poverty situation, that is to say that they spend more than 10 % of their income for their energy costs in their housing, and they report a sensation of cold is linked to a heating equipment fails or has poor insulation. the ” A million households cumuleraient a situation of discomfort of the heat (cold sensation) and economic vulnerability “ compared with energy expenditure, reports the ONPE.

” A growing phenomenon “

” It is a growing phenomenon, despite the public policies put in place “, says to Agence France-Presse Bruno Lechevin, president of the ONPE. Two years ago, when the previous edition of this report, the ONPE was felt that fuel poverty was 5.1 million homes, or about 11.5 million people.

Mr. Lechevin explains this evolution by rising energy prices, the economic crisis has made some households more vulnerable, but also by a better measure of the phenomenon. Not surprisingly, households in a situation of economic precariousness or social are those who have the most difficulty paying their energy bills.

tenants are also over-represented, as are single people or single-parent families, and households living in older housing or with a heating. According to a recent survey by the national Ombudsman of the energy, one-third of the French have had to restrict their heating to reduce their bill, and 8 % of households surveyed reported having encountered difficulties to pay some bills. the ” A 10% increase in the price of the energy can shift about 500 000 households in a precarious situation “, provides Mr. Lechevin.

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Check energy

The law on the energy transition passed in 2015 has launched a scheme to check energy to help households with low income to pay their bills or to make energy-efficient renovation work. Currently at the experimental stage, it should benefit from 2018 to nearly 4 million households, replacing the social tariffs of electricity and gas.

” One can immediately see the difference with the 5.6 million households in a precarious situation “, regrets Mr. Lechevin, even if he defends this mechanism, which is no longer limited to the use of gas and electricity, but extended to all means of heating (fuel oil, wood, etc.). The amount will be between 48 and 227 euros per year, for an average of 150 euros, calculated according to income. But it’s still inferior to the requirements that need to be mobilized to put an end to energy poverty. The Observatory has calculated that it would reduce the households ‘ energy bill 526 735 euros per year for them to get out of their precarious situation.

of itself, this check of energy will not solve the problem, said the chairman of the ONPE. the ” If using the payment of bills is urgent action necessary, the action of essence, it is the renovation of housing for households in precarious consume better and less “, ” he says.

The law on the energy transition envisages an ambitious target of 500,000 housing units renovated per year from 2017. The national Agency of habitat (ANAH) has indicated that it may renovate 70 000 this year. In addition to the check of energy, the system of certificates for energy savings (EEC) also supports the fight against energy poverty, a contribution by the energy suppliers.