One in Three French People Faced Difficulties Paying Energy Bills During the Year

This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the report above. Click on the video to watch it in full. In Hugo's apartment, filmed by France Télévisions teams at the end of October, all the radiators are turned off.

“The radiators are cold. We will try to hold out as long as possible,” said the resident of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) while the outside temperature barely exceeded 6 degrees at night. However, this order picker does not plan to heat up before mid-November.

While he is paid the minimum wage, each energy bill is difficult to bear. By delaying the switching on of his heating, he hopes to be able to save around fifty euros. “It weighs mentally to say to ourselves that we have to restrict ourselves to this point, especially in winter, so we need it the most,” he regrets.

The French are increasingly concerned about energy bills. This situation is far from isolated. According to the latest annual barometer from the energy mediator published Tuesday, November 3, one in three French people say they have had difficulty paying their gas or electricity bills over the last 12 months. This even concerns 55% of those under 35.

As a result, nearly three out of four households decided to turn down their heating last winter to save money. The French say they are increasingly concerned about these energy bills. According to this same study, 86% of households surveyed say that they are now a heavy burden on their budget.

A figure at its highest level since 2007.

Machine-translated from French