One in two French people say they will reduce their energy consumption this year, according to a survey

The French champions of sobriety? In any case, more than one in two (57%) say they will reduce their electricity consumption this year, according to a survey carried out by the consultancy firm Wavestone and revealed by Le Figaro this Monday. It’s a little less than one in two for gas (45%) and gasoline (49%). However, it is difficult to know whether this is forced or chosen sobriety.

With electricity prices expected to increase by 10% on February 1, and a household budget under inflationary pressure for many months, it is tempting to lean towards the first option. Julien Miniconi, consultant at Wavestone, subscribes to this thesis: “It’s more out of budgetary constraints than out of ecological awareness,” believes the expert. Even if he refuses to generalize. “The French have integrated certain reflexes, such as using less heat, which do not necessarily alter their daily comfort of life.” Gestures of sobriety that the government has been encouraging people to adopt since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in early 2022, which endangered European energy supplies. And the effects are there: electricity and gas consumption has fallen by 12% compared to pre-Covid years, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, then still Minister of Energy Transition, reported on Franceinfo on Monday.

Not too surprisingly, more modest households say they want to reduce their energy consumption. When it comes to electricity, 66% of lower-income households plan to cut back (compared to 57% on the national average). A proportion which amounts to 57% for gas (compared to 45% on average) and 53% for gasoline (compared to 49%).

Beyond energy, the survey carried out by Wavestone shows an overall trend towards a decline, at least desired by households, in their spending this year. “Households will continue to make cuts in their budget, particularly on superfluous items, due to a lack of visibility on what will happen in the coming months,” analyzes Julien Miniconi. For example, a third (32%) plan to reduce their food expenses, 56% their leisure expenses and even 64% their clothing expenses.

The reassuring message that the government is trying to convey on inflation - the inflationary crisis "is behind us", affirmed the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire at the end of December on CNews/Europe 1 - therefore does not yet seem to convince. However, all economic organizations predict that consumer prices will continue to slow this year. INSEE, for example, forecasts that it will fall to 2.6% over one year in June 2024, compared to 3.7% recorded in December.