Economic players and the environment 2017 edition
In this previously unpublished edition of the “Insee References” collection entitled Economic Players and the Environment, Insee and the Data and Statistics Department of the ministry with responsibility for the environment present analyses and indicators aiming to provide an overview of interactions between the environment and the economy in France. More information is available only in French on the French pages of the website.
Household energy bills have gone down since 2013 despite higher taxes
Mathilde Clément and Annaïck Rolland
Estimates using the Prometheus model put average household spending on energy in metropolitan France in 2015 at nearly €1,400 (heat, hot water, cooking and power). However, broad disparities exist: rural households spent €400 more than urban ones. The 10% of the lowest-income households spent 11% of their revenue on energy, compared to an average of 4%. Heating often accounts for 60% of the total bill.
The recent imposition of taxes on energy emitting the most greenhouse gases, aiming to raise its cost, has so far fallen short of influencing behaviour. Although households paid an average of €65 more in energy taxes in 2015 than in 2013, their energy bills fell by 12% between those years (€195). The decrease reached 13% and 24% for households heating with gas and fuel oil, respectively. Milder temperatures and lower oil prices in 2014 and 2015 more than offset the impact of higher taxes, accounting for the overall decline.