French gas prices set to rise, impacting millions of households

The reference price, a benchmark published by the energy regulator since the end of regulated gas tariffs, doesn’t represent a specific offer but serves as a guide. This increase will lead to higher bills for many consumers, as some contracts are indexed to it.

As of December 2025, approximately 6 million residential households – including individuals, associations, and small businesses – had contracts linked to this reference price. The CRE estimates the average increase in December bills for these consumers at 16 euros.

However, households with fixed-price contracts, which represent roughly 40% of residential gas consumers at the end of 2025, will not be affected. The CRE noted that these contracts “provide stability during periods of rising prices.”

The CRE projects that the average annual gas bill for a consumer will increase by 11.8% in 2026 compared to 2025, equating to an additional 143 euros.

The price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) will rise to 0.201 euro for hot water and cooking and 0.169 euro for heating. Subscription fees will remain unchanged.

Emmanuelle Wargon, president of the CRE, told AFP, “We are subject to an international market price. We import 95% of our gas.” She added, “This price reflects the fact that there are fewer offers since the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The supply cost, which reflects monthly and quarterly variations in gas prices on the French wholesale market and is used to calculate the reference price, will increase from 71.12 euros in November to 80.47 euros in December. This cost stood at 29.84 euros in April 2026, before the impact of the conflict became apparent.