Amid the storm of rising electricity bills, which will go up by nearly 10% in France come February, the French government has offered advice to households on how they can reduce their outgoings. 

As of 1st February, the cost of residential electricity in France will increase by as much as 9.8% during peak times and by 8.6% for the base rate, it was revealed by Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in an interview with TF1 on Sunday 21st January.  

“It’s a difficult decision, but a necessary decision to protect public finances,” said Le Maire, referencing a need to move away from the “whatever it costs” measures that were introduced in France during the COVID pandemic and in reaction to the Europe-wide energy crisis brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  

The price hike hasn’t come out of the blue – the reintroduction of a tax on electricity consumption tax that was suspended in 2021 was forewarned – yet few expected it to come so close to the vow made by the government in September 2023 to not raise prices above 10% during the course of 2024.  

How to reduce energy consumption at home 

Ahead of the public announcement that prices would be increasing, the French government released a guide featuring seven tips on how to lower energy consumption in the home.  

Among the measures suggested by the government’s guide is the reduction of thermostat temperatures by just 1°C, which can lower overall annual bills by an average of 7%. It also recommends keeping temperatures to a maximum 19°C to avoid inflated costs and setting boiler temperatures to 55°C, which can save consumers 10% per year. Other tips include working around peak hours and the higher tariffs they incur. 

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