Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Nearly 12 million French people in a situation of energy poverty – The Figaro

about 12 million people are in a situation of energy poverty in France and have difficulties to pay their gas bill and electricity. According to the national Observatory on energy poverty, the cheque-energy, provided for by the law of energy transition in 2015, will not be able to all the help.

Nearly 12 million people experiencing problems paying their gas bills and electricity, and the check energy that is being put in place will not help them all, warned Tuesday the national Observatory of energy precariousness (ONPE).

Almost 6 million households are considered to be in fuel poverty situation, that is to say that they spend more than 10% of their income for their energy costs in their housing, and they report a sensation of cold is linked to a heating equipment fails or has poor insulation.

“A million households cumuleraient a situation of discomfort of the heat (cold sensation) and economic vulnerability” in relation to energy expenditure, also indicates the ONPE in his new review published Tuesday.

“It is a growing phenomenon, despite the public policies put in place”, told AFP Bruno Lechevin, president of the ONPE. Two years ago at the previous edition of this observatory, the ONPE was felt that fuel poverty was 5.1 million households and about 11.5 million people.

Bruno Lechevin explains this evolution by rising energy prices, the economic crisis has made some households more vulnerable, but also by a better measure of the phenomenon.

not surprisingly, households in a situation of economic precariousness or social are those who have the most difficulty paying their energy bills. Tenants are also sureprésentés, as single people or single-parent families, and households living in older housing or with a heating.

According to a recent survey by the national Ombudsman of the energy, one-third of the French have had to restrict their heating to reduce their bill and 8% of households surveyed reported having encountered difficulties to pay some bills.

“A 10% increase in the price of energy may be switch around 500,000 households in a precarious situation,” says Mr. Lechevin.

The law on the energy transition passed in 2015 has launched a scheme to check energy to help households with low income to pay their bills or to make energy-efficient renovation work. Currently at the experimental stage, it should benefit from 2018 to nearly 4 million households, replacing the social tariffs of electricity and gas.

“One can immediately see the difference with the 5.6 million households in a precarious situation,” says Bruno Lechevin, even if he defends this mechanism, which is further limited to the use of gas and electricity, but extended to all means of heating (fuel oil, wood, etc.).

Renovating homes

the amount will rise between 48 and 227 euros per year, for an average of 150 euros, calculated according to income ; but it remains inferior to the requirements that need to be mobilized to put an end to energy poverty. The Observatory has calculated that it would reduce household energy bills between 526 and 735 euros per year for them to get out of their precarious situation.

in addition to alone this cheque in energy will not resolve the issue, believes the president of the Observatory. “If using the payment of bills is urgent action necessary, the action fund is the renovation of housing for households in precarious consume better and less”, he says.

The law on the energy transition envisages an ambitious target of 500,000 homes renovated per year from 2017. The national Agency of habitat (Anah) has indicated that it could renovate the 70,000 this year.

in Addition to the check of energy, the system of certificates for energy savings (EEC) also supports the fight against energy poverty, a contribution by the energy suppliers.

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