This " energy sobriety plan " began in the fall of 2022, to counter the gallopinginflation that was inflating energy prices. The government has taken a series of measures to prevent French people from seeing their energy bills rise too sharply. Among them, the implementation of an"energy voucher", an exceptional financial aid granted to the most modest households, and distributed between December 2022 and January 2023.
This energy voucher isrenewed for this spring.
Starting this Friday, April 21, the 2023 energy voucher is sent to the 5.8 million poorest French households. This financial aid, whose amount varies between 48 euros and 277 euros, is intended to reduce energy bills or to finance energy renovation work. No action is necessary to benefit from it, the check will be automatically sent to eligible households.
The 20% most modest households, whose reference tax income is less than 11,000 euros in 2021, can claim this exceptional aid. To find out if you are eligible, go to chequeenergie.gouv.fr and use the dedicated simulator by entering your tax number.
The amount of the energy voucher depends on the number of consumption units (CU) of the household. For example, a single person can receive a maximum of 194 euros, a couple 240 euros, and a couple with one child 277 euros. Additional aids, such as the fuel voucher (100 to 200 euros) and the wood voucher (50 to 200 euros), are also available on a means-tested basis.
To use the energy voucher, you can send it directly to your energy supplier by mail with your bill, or use it online on your supplier's website or application. You have until March 31, 2024 to use it.
In addition, the energy voucher can be used to finance energy renovation work. If this work is invoiced during the period of validity of the cheque, no particular steps are required. If the work exceeds the validity of the check, you must convert your check into a work check before March 31, 2024, thus extending its validity by two years. Information on how to do this conversion is available on the chequeenergie.gouv.fr website.
Don't worry if you don't receive your energy cheque immediately. It may take a few days, or even a few weeks, depending on the department.
Note, however, that this assistance may well be the last of its kind. To fight inflation, the government had put in place various allowances for several months. A series of expenses that can no longer continue, according to the Court of Auditors. On Thursday, March 9, the financial jurisdiction indeed urged the State to stop this policy of "whatever it takes", and to " put in place a strategy that combines resolute recovery of public finances and recovery of growth potential in the medium term."
" The energy crisis has prolonged the period of massive public support for the economy and households, which is synonymous with a still very high public deficit and debt ," warns the Court of Auditors in its annual public report.
The restrictions are already being felt: the first energy voucher had been distributed to 12 million households, more than double the number of beneficiaries, compared to this second voucher.
