Electricity and gas: is the bankruptcy of certain energy suppliers possible? – Boursorama

With soaring energy prices, some suppliers could experience financial difficulties. Bankruptcies have already taken place in the United Kingdom. Is such a scenario possible in France?

By MoneyVox,

Gas and electricity prices are soaring, and with them, the threat of shutdowns of energy suppliers is felt. Unable to pass this increase on to their prices, several operators have already gone out of business in Great Britain. Can this happen in France? How does it work for the subscriber? The explanations on an unprecedented situation.

How do energy suppliers protect themselves in times of crisis?

In the UK, several electricity and gas suppliers were forced to file for bankruptcy in September. This follows the exponential increase in the prices of these two energies. 1.5 million Britons were thus forced and forced to change operator, often at higher prices. While the price hike is also raging in France, such a scenario is cause for concern. To avoid reaching these ends, several energy suppliers have taken the lead.

They have revised their contract offerings down to the smallest detail, or even stopped welcoming new customers. This is the case of Cdiscount, which writes bluntly on its website: “We are not in a position to take new subscriptions for the moment (…) Our offers are being redesigned”. On the side of the giant TotalEnergies, formerly Total Direct Energie, the Classic Offer has quite simply disappeared, and two other formulas are put forward: the Online contract and Super off-peak hours. Same type of decision at Vattenfall, where the Electricity Eco offer is no longer. The supplier Eni has revised its Webeo offer: while the price of gas or electricity was guaranteed for 2 to 3 years, this stability is now only one year.

What can subscribers do about this situation?

Other players have chosen to practice significant price increases. Mint Energie customers were thus informed by e-mail of a 25% increase in their bill, or on average 400 euros more to pay each year. It is nevertheless essential to remember that subscribers are protected by the clauses of their contract. An off-the-wall energy supplier has also been sanctioned by the Energy Mediator, Iberdrola, following several complaints from its customers.

In France, E. Leclerc Energies has even withdrawn completely from the market. The 140,000 customers of the brand are invited to change operator before October 31, 2021. A date that was not chosen by chance: November 1 begins the winter break, during which the electricity and gas cuts are prohibited. This protection is not the only one granted to French households. A second device comes to complete it: in the event of bankruptcy of an energy supplier, the law is required to provide for an emergency operator who will take over, and will prevent households from being deprived of heating, lighting and electricity. ‘home appliance.

The current context is tense to save on energy bills. For Julien Teddé, Managing Director of Opéra Energie, a few avenues remain to be studied. For gas, for example: “It may be interesting to take advantage of the tariff shield during winter. On the other hand, in spring, leaving the regulated tariff could be a good option”, while “In electricity, it is always possible to to recover at the regulated EDF tariff, free of charge before, why not, choose another alternative supplier to come out of the current crisis “.