Overview
- Thirty-six percent of households report difficulty paying gas or electricity bills over the past year, up from 28% in 2024 and 18% in 2020, according to the annual barometer.
- Heating cutbacks remain widespread, with 74% limiting use for financial reasons and 35% saying they endured at least 24 hours of cold last winter.
- Bercy will start sending the chèque énergie to 3.8 million households on 3 November after a delay that 61% of beneficiaries say penalized them, with 35% facing payment troubles and 10% experiencing cuts or power reductions.
- Energy ombudsman Olivier Challan Belval renews calls to ban electricity cut-offs for unpaid bills and to ensure a minimal supply or apply power limits instead.
- A pricing overhaul due 1 January—featuring a versement nucléaire unique and freer EDF sales—is criticized by a parliamentary mission for exposing consumers more to market swings, even as recent CPI data show gas inflation easing and electricity prices down year over year.