Background information

To protect French people's purchasing power, the government introduced a tariff shield in 2021 to cap the rise in electricity and gas bills. Faced with a projected 35% rise in electricity tariffs on 1 February 2022, the government took new measures to cap the increase at 4%. After being extended in 2022, the scheme was renewed to 2023. Moreover, the scheme was prolonged to 2024, however this will be the last year of this initiative: for 2024, the aid will only apply to suitable contracts signed before 30 June 2023.

Content of measure

Tariff increases are limited to 15% from 1 January 2023 for gas, and also to 15% for electricity from 1 February 2023. This limitation is higher than that of 2022 (which was 4%) but it concerns "all households, condominiums, social housing, small businesses and the smallest municipalities". This measure implies:

• an average increase in bills of around €25 per month for households that heat with gas. The increase would be around €200 per month without the tariff shield;
• an average increase of around €20 per month for households heating with electricity, instead of €180 without the tariff shield.

For households and condominiums with a direct natural gas supply contract: whatever the nature of the contract, they benefit from the tariff shield, calculated on the basis of the regulated sales tariffs (TRV) for natural gas. As a reminder, in the case of gas, these tariffs were frozen at their tax-inclusive level on 1 November 2021, which meant that the French did not suffer any increase in their bill until 31 December 2022. In 2023, the shield is extended and will limit the increase in frozen TRVs to 15% including tax on average. In addition, aid of up to €200 is also planned for French people who heat with oil or wood.

On the contrary of former previsions, there was a prolongement of the scheme for 2024, however this is the last year of the program and to limit its lingering the aid will only apply to contracts signed before 30 June 2023 at a price higher than €72.8/MWh.

Use of measure

No data.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Solo-self-employed SMEs One person or microenterprises	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	Companies National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No information.

Sources

• 30 December 2020: Loi n° 2021-1900 du 30 décembre 2021 de finances pour 2022 (www.legifrance.gouv.fr)
• 09 April 2022: Décret n° 2022-514 du 9 avril 2022 relatif à l'aide en faveur de l'habitat collectif résidentiel face à l'augmentation du prix du gaz naturel (www.legifrance.gouv.fr)
• 14 November 2022: Décret n° 2022-1430 du 14 novembre 2022 modifiant le décret n° 2022-514 du 9 avril 2022 relatif à l'aide en faveur de l'habitat collectif résidentiel face à l'augmentation du prix du gaz naturel (www.legifrance.gouv.fr)
• 30 December 2022: Loi n° 2022-1726 du 30 décembre 2022 de finances pour 2023 (www.legifrance.gouv.fr)
• 04 January 2023: Hausse des prix de l'énergie : le bouclier tarifaire prolongé en 2023 (www.service-public.fr)
• 15 February 2023: Bouclier tarifaire pour le gaz naturel (www.ecologie.gouv.fr)
• 21 April 2023: Electricité : le bouclier tarifaire maintenu jusqu'à début 2025 (www.lesechos.fr)
• 16 September 2024: Bouclier tarifaire sur le gaz en faveur de l’habitat collectif résidentiel (www.asp-public.fr)
• 09 December 2024: Extension du bouclier tarifaire sur l’électricité en faveur de l’habitat collectif résidentiel et des utilisateurs de véhicules électriques pour les services de recharge (www.asp-public.fr)