End of regulated tariffs in the gas : what it changes for you

November 20, Engie stops the marketing of gas contracts to regulated rate which are still four million homes. Train station at the doorstep!

For natural gas at the regulated rate, it is the beginning of the end ! This Wednesday, November 20th, the historical operator Engie stop the commercialization of the old contract in his seventies. A decision that the group (born from the merger between Suez and Gaz de France) does not, on its own initiative. Published in the official journal on 8 November, the law on energy and climate-gives operators 30 days to stop any subscription.

The text applies also, of course, for the local suppliers. Gas of Bordeaux has stopped all marketing of the new natural gas contracts at the regulated rate from the 13 November, and electricité de Strasbourg on the 18th of November. On the side of Gas electricity of Grenoble (GEG), on the other hand, we gave it a few extra days. "The offer no longer appears on our website, but if the customer insists, it can still subscribe at the regulated rate until the end of the month," says Michèle Toko-Nikoumi, head of marketing at GEG.

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Imposed by Brussels, the extinction of the regulated rate does not happen overnight. And it concerns only the gas, not the electricity. If you are already a holder of such a contract, you have until June 30, 2023 to change it, and move on to an offer at the prices so-called "market". A respite for a lot of people in the Hexagon. More than 12 years after opening the sector to competition, some four million homes are still powered by natural gas at the regulated rate. Approximately 40% of the retail market.

Resurgence in the direct selling

"latecomers", so to speak, that gas suppliers will all try to seduce her. "We should expect an upsurge in the solicitation. All the operators are in the starting blocks, they want to take their share of the cake," says Frédérique Feriaud, the director general of services of the national Ombudsman of energy. History of protect consumers, the law governs business practices to come. The text specifies that your provider must obtain your written consent before passing your details on to alternative operators.

Without this agreement, it will not solicit for its own account. "The law forbids us to solicit our own customers the regulated rate for their offer of the market. And we don't have more the right to make proposals if these clients call us themselves to ask," says Cyril Vincent, the director general of Gas of Bordeaux. Attention, this insurance won't be pestered only applies to commercial operations targeted, by mail or phone. Nothing prevents, however, the canvassing to the blind, especially at home.

compare prices

Before you sign an offer to market, take the time to think. And don't listen to the pseudo-advice of the commercial that comes knocking at your door. The best reflex ? To use the comparator, available on the website of the national Ombudsman of energy. A tool reliable and totally independent, which shows the offers of all the providers. It is enough to specify in its annual consumption of gas in order to obtain a ranking of all bids, from the cheapest to the most expensive. Of what to take an informed decision in a few minutes, as long as the comparator does not "oar" not, what happens in case of high traffic on the site.

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on The side of market quotations, there are two options available to you. The first, very popular, but doomed to disappear, is to purchase a gas contract that is indexed to the regulated rate, with a slight discount. You then have the certainty to pay less with the regulated rate, but without knowing in advance the price of the megawatt-hour (MWH). Second possibility, opt for a tariff at a fixed price, over a period between one and three years. In this case, you know on the shelf the price you will pay. Do however pay attention to the terms and conditions of sale. In most contracts, the fixed price for the gas, not the subscription.

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You hesitate to start ? There is no rush, you still have three and a half years to make the leap. But be aware that, in all cases, you are required to no long-term commitment vis-à-vis your supplier. If your contract does not satisfy you, you are free to change it as often as you want. On the other hand, it is now impossible to return to the regulated rate once you're out. Moreover, change of operator will not cause the slightest technical problem. You'll never have to change the meter or fear of the slightest cut.