While we are talking about energy sobriety, the government is extending its support to companies that consume a lot of gas and electricity. Fanny Guinochet’s eco brief.
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This is a promise from Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy to the business leaders of Medef: He will extend the existence of the support fund he set up in July. This fund aims to help companies that consume a lot of energy to operate, produce and run machines. These companies are, for example, the artisan baker who uses a lot of electricity for his ovens, or the ice cream SME who has many freezers that he cannot cut, etc. All those who bear the full brunt of the increase in energy prices because, unlike individuals, they do not benefit from the tariff shield.
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This support fund was initially to be closed on Wednesday August 31. It will be extended until the end of the year. Bercy wants to avoid at all costs seeing VSEs and SMEs going out of business, being weakened, because of the rise in the price of gas and electricity.
At the beginning of the summer, the government released an envelope of three billion euros to help these companies pay their bills. But, in reality, very few have benefited even though the prices of gas and electricity have increased because the conditions for receiving aid are far too complicated. For example, to be eligible for this fund, companies must prove that their gas and electricity purchases amounted to at least 3% of their turnover last year. Suddenly, Bruno Le Maire said he was ready to modify this threshold. And other criteria will be relaxed.
And these announcements will certainly be a relief for many bosses. They come as the gas supply is reduced a little more and prices are racing: no later than Tuesday, August 30, Gazprom announced that it was completely suspending gas deliveries from Engie.