A part of the French clients of the Spanish electricity company Iberdrola were invited to “supply elsewhere” to benefit from regulated energy sales rates, and avoid “doubling or tripling” prices in an automatic contract renewal , confirmed the company on Sunday to AFP.
Iberdrola sent an email in recent days to all its French clients whose contracts end in October. “Less than 10,000 clients are involved, that is, 2% of our clients in France, a very small part,” a spokesperson for the group in Madrid told AFP.
“Until the end of their contract they will continue to receive electricity at the same price, but they must make a decision in order to continue benefiting from regulated rates with other providers and avoid an automatic renewal of the contract with us. If they do not react, prices will double or triple for them,” the spokesman said.
“It is as inexplicable as a situation that we prefer to give our clients the means to protect their own interests,” he added.
Iberdrola thus confirmed information disseminated since Friday by various French media.
The Spanish group insisted that it is not withdrawing from the French private market, contrary to what they did to Leclerc Energies, or CDiscount Energie, which no longer accepts new clients. “Iberdrola will continue to supply French customers,” he said.
However, “high prices and the extreme volatility of the energy market context force us to transfer those costs to clients when we make new contracts with them,” the company explained.
Iberdrola, which buys electricity on the market to supply individuals, thus admits that it is impossible for it to apply a “shield” that protects many French customers.
“We will not be in a position to supply power at a competitive price,” the spokesperson said.
According to a report from the Court of Auditors in July, 67% of French families will benefit from Regulated Sales Tariffs (TRV) for electricity, the price of which is set once a year by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE), and approved by the ministry in charge of energy.
