A reform that changes The rules of the game
The new regulation of electricity, provided to enter into force in January 2026, is directly from a European desire to restructure the energy market. Its displayed objective: to strengthen transparency, guarantee supply and support investment in renewable energies.
But this reform is based on a principle that makes consumer defenders jump: Prices will no longer be supervised by production costs, but will depend exclusively on wholesale marketsknown for their extreme volatility. Clear, Household bills could take the European electricity market priceswith all the risks that this has in period of energy crisis or geopolitical tension.
An increase that could Cost households
According to the projections of the UFC-Que Choisir, the implementation of this new regulation would lead to an average increase of 19 % of electricity billseither up to an additional 250 euros per year for an average home. This figure, based on a classic annual consumption of 4,500 kWh, reflects a scenario in which market prices remain high, as has been the case since the energy crisis of 2022.
Households heated to electricity or large families could be even more heavily affectedwhile Protective devices as the regulated rate are likely to lose their effectiveness Faced with this liberalization.
Here is a synthetic table of the estimated impacts:
Prices disconnected from The reality of production
UFC-Que Choose Critique also the absurdity of the price fixing model : In France, more than 60 % of electricity is of nuclear origin, produced at a relatively stable and low cost. However, the current European system requires member states to align their prices on the price of the MWH exchanged on the market, often rising by gas or coal power plants used in other countries.
-This situation creates a paradox: France produces inexpensive electricity, but consumers pay as if it were produced at a high price. The consumer association therefore requires regulation founded not on the wholesale market, but on Real costs of national productionmore stable and fairer.
An alternative: redistribute the profits of EDF
In his latest study, the UFC-Que Choisir advances an alternative solution: Reorient part of EDF’s profits to households, in the form of a direct drop in invoices. The company, now renationalized, carried out solid results in 2023 and 2024, in particular thanks to the increase in electricity prices.
The association offers a reinforced taxation of exceptional profits made on the wholesale market, accompanied by a Full redistribution to usersto compensate for the effects of the reform. She also calls for Guarantee the sustainability of the regulated ratewhich remains for millions of households a benchmark for stability and security.
Citizen vigilance facing at an energy turning point
While the energy transition is on everyone’s lips, The balance between sobriety, social justice and competitiveness becomes more fragile than ever. The UFC-Que Choisir warns against too brutal reform, which would risk amplify the energy precariousness already suffered by 12 million French people.
The government, for the time being, remains discreet on the concrete modalities of the French application of this European regulation. But faced with increasing concerns, Pressure rises for consumer interests to be heard and integrated into future discussions.
At a time when each euro counts for households, to make the electricity depend on an unpredictable market is to make daily a bet.
