According to Bruno Le Maire, consumers will not be asked to pay the difference between the market prices and the price ceilings. According to him, prices will also remain within limits next year. The French government has limited the increase in energy prices to 4 percent until the end of this year.
The whole of Europe is suffering from rising energy prices. In the United Kingdom, the cost ceiling was previously raised considerably. Ministers of the EU member states meet urgently to seek ways out of the energy crisis.
Energy prices in the largest European markets, France and Germany, rose by more than a quarter on Friday. The price increases are due to a slump in nuclear electricity production in France and the restriction of natural gas supplies by Russia.
cold days
The French government is also considering introducing a system for households and small businesses this winter that will provide them with preferential electricity rates in exchange for limiting usage during periods of high demand. This can be, for example, on very cold days.
This system has been used for many years for large power consumers in industry. They agree to reduce their production when the power supply is tight.