Households in France are facing another layer of financial pressure this winter as energy costs continue to climb. According to figures released by the Regulatory Energy Commission (Commission de régulation de l'énergie, CRE) on November 9, 2026, the reference benchmark price for natural gas will increase by 5.8% effective December 1, 2026. This adjustment raises the cost from €194.90 to €206.26 per megawatthour. [1]
This latest increase marks the fourth consecutive month of price hikes for natural gas. It follows increases of 5.62% in September, 6.3% in October, and 6.6% in November. The primary driver behind this monthly progression is the rise in wholesale natural gas prices during October. Crucially, this inflation affects only the supply component of the bill; distribution costs and taxes remain unchanged. [1]
The applicability of this rate increase depends on the type of contract held by the consumer. Since the abolition of regulated tariffs in July 2023, the CRE has published a monthly reference price to allow comparison among supplier offers. Households with contracts indexed to this indicator will see direct adjustments, estimated by the CRE at an additional €16 on average for their December bills. Conversely, the 40% of subscribers who opted for fixed-price contracts by the end of 2025 are shielded from this specific increase. [1]
For the full year of 2026, the CRE estimates that the annual bill for an average consumer will rise by 11.8% compared to 2025, amounting to €143 in additional costs. Consumers uncertain about their contract status are advised to review the tariff conditions of their specific offers or use the independent comparator provided by the National Energy Ombudsman (Médiateur national de l'énergie) to compare supplier tariffs. [1]
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