The father of five, who has been out of work since quitting his job as a security guard a month ago after retraining as an IT technician, now faces monthly power bills nearly three times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, says a social worker who helps him manage the paperwork.
Leslie Lemee, a social worker at SOLIHA - the housing network that helps the Kadios with their bills - said the family received a government grant, though this covers only a fraction of the costs. One in four French people said they are struggling this year to pay their gas or electricity bills, according to a survey from the country's national energy mediator, up from less than a fifth in 2020.
"In France people are being very, very careful about their heating," said Frederique Feriaud, a director at the national mediator.
Wait. They have 30 nuclear plants for power. Why is electricity pricing going up in France?