Backdated €40 EDF bill may be on way

A NASTY surprise may soon drop into the letter box of households in France - an extra electricity bill from EDF, ahead of the 5% price increase set to come into force in August.

The public rapporteur of the country’s highest administrative court, the Conseil D’Etat, yesterday recommended that the government’s 2% limit on electricity price rises in 2012 should be overturned.

The 2% price rise was well below the 5.7% estimation made by the Regulatory Commission (CRE) at the time.

The recommendation said that the limit by former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was not enough to cover EDF’s costs, and amounted to a distortion of the market.

The news will come as an early blow for new Prime Minister Manuel Vall’s administration. If the recommendation is upheld, retroactive bills of up to €40 may be sent to every household in France.

A final decision is expected in two weeks, and although the public rapporteur’s recommendation is not binding, his recommendations are generally followed.

The increase will apply to regulated electricity tariffs for homes and small businesses, which means it will affect about 27 million (90%) of households.