no loss of customers for Ilek, electricity supplier in Toulouse despite the increases
Electricity increases, the complex choice of an energy supplier… Rémy Companyo, co-founder of the Toulouse energy supplier Ilek, answers burning current questions.
Loading
France Bleu Occitanie: can you explain to us what will happen on February 1? Regulated electricity prices will increase, right?
Rémy Companyo: So indeed, the rates increase every year, based on a formula which today is at a 108% increase. But the state should according to the communication that they have put in place a tariff, which will limit this increase to 15%.
So thanks to this price shield, those who are with a historical supplier only will not see their bill jump.
All suppliers who are at indexed prices, so the historical supplier or with suppliers like us. The increase will be limited, significant, but limited to 15%.
You, the alternative operators, are you competitive on what, vis-à-vis an incumbent supplier like EDF?
On a relatively competitive offer since ultimately we are indexed to the regulated tariff, therefore identical to EDF. So today, an alternative supplier can have an energy offer that is competitive. There are indeed other suppliers, who offered fixed offers or offers that were indexed to the market, which have increased significantly. But it is also up to the consumer to be vigilant about his offer.
What makes people come to you rather than to a supplier like EDF?
We have a renewable supply, so we buy energy from French hydroelectric producers, solar panels, wind farms. So on a very strong environmental approach and our customers, via the invoice, contribute to the production of renewable energies in France.
Agree with the cold that is settling in the region. Some individuals are trying to switch providers. Is it a good or a bad idea at the start of the year to try to find another supplier?
I think it’s a good idea in the next few weeks because the market is relaxing. That is to say that the future purchase of energy is being known. So in the coming months, we will have to have cheaper energy for consumers.
An energy courtier this morning on France Bleu, said that it’s not a good idea, stay where you are, anyway, everyone is entitled to this shield?
Today, indeed, it is. But I hope that in the future energy prices will decrease.
Have you gained or lost customers in recent weeks?
We haven’t lost any. On a strategy rather to protect our customers without increasing their prices. So we haven’t had incredible growth. But in any case, we have maintained our activity over the past few months.
How long has Ilek been around?
It’s been over six years.
Are you still at 120,000 customers all over France?
Exactly.
Mainly in the Toulouse region. Are you able to attract customers elsewhere?
In the Toulouse region a little more than elsewhere, but everywhere in France.
And therefore, the energy you sell is produced near consumers or not maintained. For once, there is no energy that you buy in the Toulouse region.
If the energy we buy goes to the Toulouse region. The pipe that carries the energy itself everywhere. So effectively, we buy energy where there is some. So it’s by the sea, in the mountains, on the plains. That is the territory that offers us the production sites. And so we did where, where we can.
Does the closure of one of the reactors of the Golfech plant have an impact or not on your activity directly?
No. Even if however, a massive shutdown of nuclear facilities would have an impact on the market. To date, there is the impact and we cannot see it.
But so far, energy sobriety has been respected in France, with a notable drop in consumption. Do you also observe it with your customers?
We see it and it is very good news. There are also positive points, it is that people begin to have acts of sobriety. We have made a specific campaign for our customers. There has been a lot of information on the subject and today, the French consume less energy and we can be happy about that. We must now go further because we are talking about seven 10%, we can go even further. So that’s what we tried to do. [00 :04 :22][20.9]
Is it any wonder the seller says this is good news?
Economically, therefore, it is not the best news. But it’s not just the economical driver, there’s also an ecological one, so it’s important that people consume less energy. It is rare, it is available but it has a value. And so it’s up to us to save.
A drop in consumption on what scale among customers then?
Hard to say ; the weather played a role, but we are there, we are above the 7% that have been observed, rather between 10 and 12%.
There was a lot of talk at the end of last year about possible power outages. Do you think it’s out of the way? Are we entering the sensitive area, in your opinion?
So, you said it, it’s cold this morning. This is when people consume and we can produce a little less. To date, we have not had any information in this direction. So I feel like there’s been a lot of anticipation and so far there’s no planned cut.