Igor François, manager of the Coccinelle Express minimarket in the center of Nogent-le-Rotrou, cannot do without his enormous energy-intensive refrigerators, in which yogurt, cheeses and other fresh products are stored.
Like many business leaders, this trader is concerned about the impact of rising energy costs on his bottom line. He explains :
“My new electrical contract started on October 25th. If in 2023 I have the same consumption as in 2022, my EDF bill will increase by 130% and will go from 32,000 euros to almost 75,000 euros! At this rate, we will work to pay salaries, but the company will not make any profits next year. “
Igor Francois (Director of the Coccinelle Express supermarket in Nogent-le-Rotrou)
Like other VSEs (very small businesses), this convenience store is not protected by the tariff shield. The device is reserved for families and companies with less than 10 employees, with an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros and an electricity meter with a power of less than 36 kWh.
“Since we weren’t protected, I looked for someone who could shake things up. I turned to the Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Eure-et-Loir to ask its officials to alert the government on this matter, ”explains the Nogent trader.
Philippe Brunel, president of CPME 28, did not fail to convey the message to the Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, during his visit to Eure-et-Loir on Friday 7 October. He remembers :
“I told the minister that many SMEs were not in the boxes and escaped the aid put in place to cope with the surge in energy prices. Bruno Le Maire recognized that adjustments needed to be made. “
Filippo Brunel (president of CPME 28)
The government has since announced the adoption of new measures on Thursday 27 Octoberin particular an “electric shutter”.
This state increase will take effect on January 1, 2023 and will automatically be deducted from your utility bills. It is intended, under certain conditions, for VSEs excluded from the tariff shield, SMEs, communities or associations with more than ten employees.
prize Tenants of the Nogent Perche Habitat HLM park see their heating bills increase by an average of 175%
“This shock absorber will take the form of a fixed aid on 25% of companies’ consumption, allowing to offset the difference between the minimum price of 325 € / MWh and a maximum price of 800 € / MWh”, indicates the Ministry of Economy on its website. “The buffer will be limited to 800 euros / MWh to limit the exposure of the state budget to the price hike: the maximum aid would therefore be around 120 euros / MWh for the companies concerned. “
Although no decree has yet appeared in the Official Gazette, Igor François has already made his calculations. “According to my estimates, I should save € 4,000 on my electricity bill with this shock absorber. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing, ”says the operator of the Coccinelle Express in Nogent-le-Rotrou, who turns on the heating later in the morning and turns it off later in the evening to limit consumption. He also decided to lower the ambient temperature in his business from 19 degrees to 17 degrees.
Energy prices: tariff shield extended in 2023 and “exceptional” controls for low-income families
In a completely different business sector, Jean-Bernard Savouré also hopes to receive state aid to reduce his electricity bill. This head of a carpentry company, specialized in the production of bespoke windows, in Chartres, has already taken the lead, creating a new organization:
“The price per kilowatt hour I have to pay has gone from 8 euro cents to thirty-four euro cents since October 15th. Our machines consume enough energy. We no longer leave them on standby during the day when we know we won’t be using them until the next day. We looked at the lighting and presence sensors were installed in some rooms. “
Jean-Bernard Savouré (director of JBS Germond carpentry, which employs five people in Chartres)
This entrepreneur, who pays € 5,700 a year for electricity, has not yet assessed whether he will benefit from the new government system. “If we could enter the garages it would be good because all the costs increase in the building and not just the energy one. Commodity prices are skyrocketing. For glass, the increase is 50%. We have to reduce our margins “, describes Jean-Bernard Savouré.
This boss does not regret having invested in photovoltaic panels in 2020 : he spent 12,000 euros to install about thirty panels on the roofs of his company. This equipment enabled it to produce 9 MWh of electricity last year. A godsend in times of inflation.
Elena Bonnet
