EDF offers small businesses the opportunity to “smooth out” their electricity bills

EDF will offer small businesses, weakened by electricity contracts concluded at the worst moment of the rise in energy prices in 2022, support to “soften” these prices over time, the historic supplier announced on Friday, February 16 Of electricity.

Within the framework of “personalized support”, the electrician will offer its small business clients the possibility of renegotiating their contracts by extending them for a “longer period, to allow a reduction in costs”, indicated the general director of EDF Luc Rémont, during the conference presentation of the group’s results marked for the year 2023 for a record profit of 10 billion euros.

Lower the average price “up to 30 or 40%”

EDF intends to respond “on a case-by-case basis” to the situations of small businesses that would remain in 2024 or even 2025 under the effect of expensive electricity contracts, signed since mid-2022, in the midst of the energy crisis.

These contracts generally last 1 to 3 years and are subject to termination fees, which are not the case for individuals.

With this support solution, an SME that had signed a contract for 2023-2024 at the worst moment of the crisis and wanted to “contract for an additional period after 2024”, would see its average price fall “up to 30 or 40″. %” compared to its contract price in 2024, EDF explained.

Bercy pressure

Electricity in the markets is currently quoted at around 70 euros per MWh, far from the record peak of the summer of 2022 (more than 1,000 euros), but some companies are still subject to contracts of 300, 400, 600 euros per MWh. It is indicated on the Bercy side.

“There was a request (from Bercy) that Luc Rémont immediately accepted,” the Economy Ministry informed AFP. Bruno Le Maire this week asked the manager for “an effort in the invoices of VPEs and SMEs that had very high prices for 2022, and this in a context in which EDF has obtained good results,” reported the ministerial source.

The solutions proposed by EDF are in addition to existing government measures for VSEs, SMEs and medium-sized companies (maximum price, electricity buffer, aid window, etc.), Bercy stressed.