Despite the drop in gas prices on the wholesale markets, condominiums have not finished with their bill problems. Some suppliers continue to apply abusive pricing. The CLCV (Consumption, housing and living environment) thus filed a complaint in early February with the Court of Nanterre against the supplier Gaz Européen, for “contractual violation”.
The consumer association criticizes this subsidiary of Butagaz for having increased its prices with condominiums when the contracts were at fixed prices. A building with 15 apartments in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, which had signed a three-year fixed-price contract with European Gaz, thus saw its heating bill jump by 50% for five months during the winter of 2021-22. “From December 2021, the supplier had added a line entitled “Spot increase”, says François Carlier, the general delegate of the CLCV. As a result, 10% of the invoice was indexed to market prices. »
According to the general delegate of the association, several thousand other condominiums could be concerned. “Some have received letters explaining to them that a revision of their contract could be carried out according to the climatic conditions, he warns. Whereas by definition, a fixed price remains fixed, regardless of the quantities consumed, weather conditions or any other factor. »
The responsibility of the supplier is indeed to “cover” itself completely, ie to buy the quantity of energy sufficient to meet the totality of the request of its customers. But some of them leave themselves a margin by betting that prices will go down and that they will be able to buy on the markets at lower cost. A risky step in these times of great instability. However, the risks must not, at any time, weigh on the consumers.
Remember to check the invoices
Another supplier, Antargaz, found itself in the sights of the CLCV for identical reasons. Owned since 2004 by an American holding company, the company had indeed applied a price increase to at least one condominium, located in the 16th arrondissement in Paris, in the spring of 2022.
In a letter dated February 1 that we were able to consult, Antargaz justifies itself by invoking “market conditions existing at the time of the subscription of the contract (…) totally upset”. “This exceptional context therefore forced us to modify the price (…) in order to restore the economic balance of the contract”.
Faced with the rebellion raised by this unilateral revision of its prices, Antargaz finally decided to readjust the course. “As a commercial matter, we are proceeding with the cancellation of this increase in order to return to the initial pricing conditions, negotiated according to the contract”, indicates the supplier in this same letter.
What Butagaz refuses to do for the moment. Hence the litigation. Contacted, his management sent us two emails. She disputes the alleged facts while refusing to answer our questions. For its part, the CLCV calls on the co-owners to “the greatest vigilance”, inviting them to check their bills carefully.