the government tries to put out the fire

The bakery is getting hotter because of the exorbitant electricity bill. But government firefighters cannot be trusted. They are also arsonists.

Trying to put out a fire that has been smoldering for months under the ashes is a difficult, if not impossible, task. A desperate attempt to cope with the anguish of bakers faced with skyrocketing electricity prices. To the point where the lives of small craftsmen are in danger.

wooden leg cauterizer

Among measures announced by Elizabeth Bourne to support bakers, they can ask for tax and philanthropy deferrals and spread their bills over months. The head of government estimates that the state could cut electricity bills by about 40%.
Bruno Le Maire says bakers can cancel contracts without charge if energy bills are exorbitant.
The increase in electricity bills for many small businesses, not just bakeries, is about 5x, 10x or even 50x month over month, so it’s a small step that doesn’t stand up to the challenge. Many do not survive.

A nuclear park in a calm state

Rising prices for energy, especially electricity, are nothing new. This is the result of precarious, lazy and even stupid policies that successive governments have pursued for months, if not years.
First of all, the rise in electricity prices is due to the dire state of the French nuclear fleet. 26 out of 56 reactors are shut down for maintenance. The aging of the reactor was not expected. The cause of these shutdowns is the phenomenon of stress corrosion cracking (SCC), which corresponds to small cracks near welds in stainless steel circuits. EDF had to bring in hundreds of American welders from Westinghouse.

European power market

France used to be self-sufficient in electricity and also exported, but now it has to buy electricity on the European market at high prices. The EU opens its domestic market to competition, with 35 countries linked by a common European grid. The European market is ‘controlled’ Exchange, EPEX Spot SE
When producers and traders negotiate price per MWh.
Note that electricity prices are calculated based on gas prices, as it is gas-fired power plants that generate electricity in many countries.

war in ukraine

And then the Russian-Ukrainian war enters the dance. Since February 24, 2022, gas has become increasingly scarce due to economic sanctions against Russia by the United States and Western countries. In particular, since September 27, 2022, two of his pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe have been destroyed in the Baltic Sea.
The boomerang effect, homes, bakeries and businesses are experiencing it today… brutally.
Who said that a few months ago? An arsonist firefighter who today wants to extinguish a fire that neither he nor anyone else can really control.

Bruno Le Maire: “Je demande aux fournisseurs d’énergie de faire plus, de faire mieux et de le faire tout de suite” pic.twitter.com/Ig9mhka1Qo

— BFM Business (@bfmbusiness) January 3, 2023

At your own risk, you claim payment for payment, the company claims payment, the claimant claims payment, and claims payment.
ridicule! Les PME feront faillite si on ne sort pas du marché européen de l’électricité 😡pic.twitter.com/FPHngNXxXD

— Karen Tardi (@Carene1984) January 3, 2023

Energy prices : “France is disadvantaged by the European system