Companies with high gas and electricity consumption, which are particularly hard hit by rising energy prices, will be able to benefit from financial assistance. Find out all you need to know.
Unprecedented rise in gas and electricity prices
Since the start of the war in Ukraine and the massive sanctions imposed on Russia, gas and electricity prices have exploded. Specifically, gas market prices reached 224.6 euros/MWh on March 7, and electricity prices 540 euros/MWh on the same day. As a reminder, these were set at 46 euros/MWh and 109 euros/MWh respectively in 2021.
According to a study by Euler Hermes, a subsidiary of the Allianz Group, prices could rise by 70% if Europe stopped importing Russian gas. This would mean a bill of 3,800 euros for French households, representing a 3-point drop in purchasing power. Households are not the only ones affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine. The companies that consume the most gas and electricity are also affected.
Mitigating the effects of the energy crisis
As part of the economic and social resilience plan presented by former Prime Minister Jean Castex, the government has announced the launch of a subsidy to support players whose gas and electricity costs represent a significant proportion of their expenses.
This aid, created to " mitigate the effects of the energy crisis ", concerns companies whose gas and electricity purchases represented at least 3% of their sales in 2021 and which have seen their unit cost of gas or electricity purchases double, Bercy states in a press release published on May 11, 2022.
The amount of aid varies according to the company's situation:
- For companies whose gross operating profit (EBITDA) has fallen by 30% compared with the previous year, financial assistance will correspond to 30% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of 2 million euros;
- For companies with negative EBITDA and operating losses not exceeding 2 times eligible costs, aid will be equal to 50% of eligible costs, with a ceiling set at €25 million and 80% of losses;
- For companies operating in a sector particularly exposed to international competition, whose EBITDA is negative and losses do not exceed 2 times eligible costs, aid will be equal to 70% of eligible costs, limited to €50 million and 80% of losses.
To benefit from this new aid, companies must submit their application via the professional space on the impot.gouv.fr website. The system will open in the second half of June for the March-April-May period. A further application must be submitted for the June-July-August period.