Overview
- The energy regulator proposed the 2.5% rise and the government confirmed late Thursday 16 July that it would be implemented from 1 August 2026.
- About 19 to 20 million customers on regulated offers such as EDF’s 'tarifs bleus' will see average bills rise by roughly €26 a year, from €1,046 to €1,072 for a household using 4.5 MWh annually.
- Officials say the extra revenue will pay for maintenance and modernization of public transmission and distribution networks and preserve production capacity for the coming winter.
- The increase reflects a higher tariff for using the grid (TURPE) and inflation while the government noted that average gas reference prices have climbed, adding pressure to energy costs.
- The decision contrasts with earlier government assurances of stable bills and revives criticism of the market reform that replaced ARENH with the single nuclear remuneration mechanism (VNU), which critics say raises longer-term price exposure.