Government support measures to tackle the energy crisis

The rise in energy prices is already being felt more and more. With the arrival of winter, it is set to become increasingly worrying. The French government is therefore offering various forms of support to help companies.

In this article, discover the different types of support available to help companies get through the energy crisis.

An energy crisis in France and Europe

The consequences of the war in Ukraine are many and disastrous. Supply difficulties and the rising cost of energy in Europe are among them.
In its latest report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) speaks of a "period of extraordinary turbulence" to describe the consequences of the war on the global energy market. On top of this comes the climate crisis and its consequences, including the periods of very severe drought experienced in France this summer.

These two major issues are leading us to rethink the way we use energy. On the one hand, there is talk of accelerating the ecological transition and, on the other, of energy sobriety. The current situation is forcing us to rethink not only our sources of energy supply but also the amount we consume.
In its report, the IEA points out that global electricity demand is expected to increase by 20% by 2030.

How the renewable energy market is evolving

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The renewable energy market had already been growing for several years. In 2020, renewables accounted for 19% of energy consumption in France (Source: French Ministry for the Ecological Transition).

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, far-reaching changes have been introduced to adopt longer-term, more sustainable policies. The aim is to ensure the country's energy independence while meeting the various targets for reducing fossil fuels.

Globally, the renewable energy sector is expected to grow by more than 2,000 billion dollars a year by 2030 (Source: IEA).

Energy sobriety

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Strongly promoted by the government since the end of the summer, energy sobriety is also one of the actions aimed at getting through the energy crisis while adopting more sustainable ways of operating.

We are not yet able to meet all electricity demand with more sustainable energy sources, so we can reduce that demand instead.
Energy sobriety therefore aims to consume less energy in order to reduce production and pollution.

Read our article on the subject: Applying the government's recommended energy sobriety measures in your company

Government support for companies

To support companies through this energy crisis, the French government has put in place various commitments with energy suppliers.

Support available to energy-consuming companies

The first measure is the extension and simplification of support for paying electricity and gas bills for companies that are heavy energy consumers.

The government has also introduced a State guarantee to reduce the risk of a supplier's business customer defaulting, in order to make it easier for all consumers to access an energy contract.

Finally, a reference electricity price has been set for several profiles of business consumers.

Commitments from energy suppliers

To tackle contractual difficulties between energy suppliers and consumers, the government has introduced an Energy Suppliers' Charter.
It sets out 25 commitments, including extending the notice period before a contract expires to 2 months, supplier of last resort arrangements, easier payment terms for companies in difficulty and competitive tendering of commercial offers.

The main energy suppliers have signed this charter, such as EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies, Enercoop, Seolis, and others.

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