Electricity, EDF blue tariff and competition: why the CLCV wants to change everything
15 years after the opening of the electricity market to competition, the alternative offers to EDF's "blue tariff" have not really found their audience. On the strength of this observation, the consumer association CLCV is calling for the end of this system from 2025, pleading for a return to EDF's distribution monopoly. Explanations with the director general of the CLCV, François Carlier.
François Carlier, why this plea by the CLCV for a return to the electricity distribution monopoly in 2025?
François Carlier: “Because the opening of the electricity market to competition is a failed bet. This failure is not attributable only to alternative suppliers, they simply did not have the means to establish themselves. There was almost no leeway compared to what we saw in telecoms. Because there is no technological breakthrough possible with electricity. We must learn from this before 2025 and the end of the transitional period set by regulated access to historic nuclear electricity, says Arenh, which makes a third of its production available to competition at a price of 42 euros. megawatt hour.
Today EDF uses nuclear power plants and centralizes, via Enedis and RTE, the distribution of electricity to alternative sources, competition is therefore impossible because sharing is decided upstream. According to the Nome law of 2011, suppliers had to have their infrastructures in place by 2025 and nothing has been done. Regulated prices are increased to sustain competition that does not exist. The Competition Authority has issued a negative opinion against a 6% price increase decided in 2019.
2025 is tomorrow. When will a decision be made?
F.C. “Discussions are intense at the moment at the European Commission, within the government or in the Senate, where I was interviewed again this week. For the moment, public positions are cautious and everyone is hiding their game. The future of competition, via Arenh, and the Hercule project, which is reforming EDF but arousing strong hostilities, are closely linked. Everything revolves around the question of the liberalization of the electricity market and the future of EDF. Some actors are coming out of the woods and platforms opposed to Hercules have multiplied, especially on the left of the political spectrum.
Through this advocacy and this position statement, we at the CLCV will consider taking part in the debate that is taking place at the moment. Finding a solution before 2025 is an obligation. »
Increase in EDF tariffs: why your electricity bill is exploding despite the competition
What do you say to those who believe that France is bound by the treaties and directives signed at European level?
F.C. : “In fact, we are already not respecting the European treaties since the sharing of electricity is decided in advance. The 2001 Treaty of Rome speaks of free competition. However, competition in the electricity market in France is weak from the start. Even if we can hear it, we use an anti-competitive device - a prior agreement - to establish competition. This boost has been going on for 14 years, we have to put an end to it. »
Home insurance: save up to 40% thanks to our online comparatorHow can the return of the 10 million individual customers (plus 3 million companies) to the historical supplier be organized? ?
F.C. “In principle, we are in favor of real competition from 2025, but we believe that an overwhelming majority of alternatives [43 in France today, editor's note] will stop their activity if this is the case. We wondered why consumers go to alternatives for an estimated gain of 6% on the price per kilowatt. We do not want to turn our backs on them, but we observe that for a few satisfied ones, complaints of aggressive commercial practices are multiplying. This observation confirms the lack of space available for alternative suppliers and pushes us to position ourselves against these market offers. Especially since customers with regulated tariffs are still largely the majority. »