34% struggle to pay energy bills

A THIRD of people in France say they have had difficulty paying their gas and electricity bills in the last three years.

A total of 34% of people in a survey by PR group Mediaprism for consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs reported difficulties, while the figure was even higher for people renting, at 43%.

The study showed that energy costs were by far the part of household expenses that people felt had increased most strongly recently, with 84% being aware of having to allocate more of their budget to it, and 57% feeling that this had “increased a lot”.

It also found that 94% take care over their energy consumption for financial reasons above all, while only half of people also take environmental concerns into account.

Forty-three per cent of people surveyed had had work done to make homes more energy efficient, with house owners more likely to have done so than people who live in flats.

There was a 5% increase in EDF’s electricity prices this summer, which is to be followed by another 5% in August next year.