
January 28, 2026
9
Min reading

On Thursday, February 10, 2022, the President, Emmanuel Macron, announced in Belfort an ambitious program to renew the French nuclear industry. Following in the footsteps of his elder, General de Gaulle, he declared:
”To produce energy, especially electricity, we have a chance, it is our historical model. The installed park, the nuclear power plant.”
Today, The war in Ukraine, which reminds us more than ever of the risk of the atom, both through the half-veiled threats of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and through the deliberate attack by his military forces on the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhia, both through the half-veiled threats of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and through the deliberate attack of his military forces on the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhia, the French are facing a dramatic rise in wholesale electricity prices and this despite the rent of the historic nuclear fleet that they have...
Why is electricity nuclear but is paid at the price of gas? This is the question that we will try to answer in this article, which will explain to you in particular the Operation of European wholesale electricity market.

Gas and electricity market price curve for 2023 - Source: SirEnergies
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This phenomenon has increased dramatically since the beginning of 2022, gas has increased by 60%, so we can talk Rising gas prices.
This surge in gas prices is linked to international and even geostrategic reasons, since France is not a gas producer, She imports all her gas needs, especially from the North Sea, from Norway, and also, like its European neighbors, from other countries such as Russia.
These geostrategic reasons for the surge in gas prices are due to:
For electricity, it is something else and much stranger for the average consumer, since there has been almost no increase in the cost of producing electricity in France in recent months.
The share of gas and oil in French electricity production is around 7% and in Europe it is around 20%, and part of the cost is linked to the construction of installations. So if we just look at the fuel portion, it is less than 10% of the total cost of electricity production that depends on gas in Europe.

Source: Energy Knowledge
So it is not the cost of electricity that has soared due to the increase in gas prices. In addition, The demand for electricity has not soared either, it is stable. The price of electricity on the market has soared only due to market mechanism himself.
Comparatively, if France had remained in the system of regulated tariffs that existed during the time of the public company, the price would have changed little or hardly at all since the costs did not change overall. Especially since today ARENH allows market players to Cover part of their cost at a regulated fixed price.
Les wholesale price on the energy markets are based on marginal costs.
That is to say that at every moment The market price is equal to the cost of producing the The most expensive power plant of the entire interconnected European network, even if the production share of this power plant represents a tiny part of total production, because this mechanism for the formation of wholesale prices is independent of the quantities produced.
It is the principle of the economic precedence (Merit Order) which consists in starting the production plants from the cheapest to the most expensive as demand increases and in remunerating the electricity produced at an instant T at the price of the last power plant called to operate for Ensuring a balance between electricity supply and demand and balance the tension on the network at 50 Hz.

Economic precedence: the price is established at the intersection of supply and demand curves - Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition
This price, which depends not on the average price of the electricity produced but on the price of last marginal power plant called to operate, is applicable to all power plants in production at that time, regardless of their relative share in the production of the installed fleet.
So there is a market alignment on the marginal production price of the last power plant called by the network operator (RTE for France).
In other words, if a gas power plant provides 1% of the electricity in the interconnected network, the cost of producing this power plant will be applied to 100% of this electricity on the wholesale market.
And so in the event of a strong tension in Europe on electricity demand, that is to say in the event of mobilization of state-of-the-art production plants, the resulting price on the wholesale market will be Much higher to the average value of production at the same time.
So, If the price of gas soars upon gas markets, as a ricochet effect: as soon as a gas-fired power plant is called into production, its production cost will automatically apply to all the electricity produced on the European interconnected network, even if this electricity is generally produced from hydraulic dam Or of nuclear power plants whose costs are much lower and almost stable.
As a result, the wholesale energy price does not reflect The energy mix of each country and therefore the structural political choices of the production park.
And that's without forgetting The price of CO2 which applies to the electricity production of fossil power plants, and therefore gas power plants, which increases the production price of gas-fired power plants and, by mechanical effect of the principle explained above of economic precedence, that of all electrical production, whether of nuclear, hydraulic or wind origin.
From this point of view, according to their energy mix, Not all European countries are equal, some being more virtuous than others. Consumers are suffering from the mechanical effect of the European wholesale market and the choices of their neighbor's energy policy, as evidenced by This card.
With this market mechanism, wholesale prices are correlated to gas prices and become uncontrollable by public authorities and extremely volatile.
This penalizes producers who have to make very significant investments and who face a very volatile price that they cannot anticipate and therefore with a significant financial risk.
And this also obviously penalizes consumers, first of all individuals since their bills are going to go up to reflect the increase in prices in wholesale markets.
And then French and electro-intensive companies, SMEs/SMIs, who need to ensure the electrical supply of their productive equipment and who would like to have visibility on prices, in other words a stable price linked to production costs, in order to be able to control the selling price of their products and remain competitive.
In the current situation this is a problem for everyone, even if there are some consumers who suffer from rising energy bills and not others.
On the markets, operators exchange electricity at wholesale prices and then To pass on the change in prices on their customers.
Some consumers have supply contracts with guaranteed fixed prices over several years, so for now they are not suffering from price increases in wholesale markets. They will experience these increases later when their contract is renewed, but in a very smooth way.
Other consumers have contracts indexed to market prices and therefore they are already experiencing these increases on electricity markets.
As you will have understood, The increase in gas prices has a direct impact on the wholesale price of electricity reaching new heights and putting Europe under pressure.
That's why Tuesday 1Er March 2022, Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery declared on FranceInfo: “I want us to extend the tariff shield”.
The tariff shield was announced by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, on September 30, 2021 for Dealing with the exceptional Rising energy prices observed since mid-2021. The implementation of this rate shield by the government then aimed to limit to 4% the average increase in TRV (regulated sales rates) applicable to residential customers.
Today, in the face of the war in Ukraine, electricity prices are soaring again in Europe. The tariff shield, originally designed to deal with an exceptional situation, Will last under the combined action of the war and the presidential election in France.
The public authorities say that the tariff shield will resist and make it possible to contain the rise in prices with the target of 4% announced in September 2021. Price increase that should have reached nearly 40% according to the estimates presented on 10 January by Bercy.
All these measures to contain the price of energy already represented a cost for the State of 14 billion euros in 2021-2022, front the war in Ukraine.
To respond to the current crisis situation, the government has also increased the ARENH level by 20 TWh (initially 100 TWh) (initially 100 TWh), which will be delivered in 2022, and at the same time revised its price upward to €46.20/MWh (initially to €42/MWh).
Thanks to this measure concerning ARENH, suppliers will therefore be able to benefit from 20% more nuclear energy to meet the needs of their customers. However, this price has increased by 10%.
In the light of the current crisis, we therefore observe the limits of the market mechanism model built on The principle of economic precedence And of marginal cost of the last power plant called which leads to a dramatic increase in prices for the end consumer.
At the same time, the government is obliged to take palliative measures in order to allow French consumers to benefit from Nuclear rent without drawing the wrath of Brussels.
Energy has already been widely used in The presidential campaign, some advocating the revival of nuclear power, such as the current president-candidate, Emmanuel Macron, and others, like Yannick Jadot, being totally opposed to it and wishing on the contrary to increase the existing wind farm, which already has 9,000, by 3,000 additional wind turbines.
As everyone knows, the increase in renewables raises the problem of their intermittency. However, in order to deal with their intermittency, advanced CCGT power plants (gas-fired power plants) are highly stressed, which, with current European market mechanisms, would tend to artificially maintain a high wholesale electricity price.
Undoubtedly, the geostrategic component, i.e. dependence on gas and therefore on Russia, will become an increasingly important criterion in the energy policy choices of the 27.
To climate change, to the revival of the French nuclear industry, to the dependence on Chinese photovoltaic panels, to the transformation of our countryside and coastlines by wind turbines, etc., our French policies must now deal more and more with gas geostrategy, unless they try to get out of European market mechanisms!
This is an unlikely hypothesis, as it is true that, in the current period when the 27 are calling for more Europe, cohesion and solidarity have never been so severely tested, first by Brexit, then by the war in Ukraine, then by the war in Ukraine.
Do not hesitate to read our recent article:” War in Ukraine - What dependence on Russian gas for EU countries? ”
Electricity, gas and CO2 prices change every day and are important to follow for buy at the best time.
Beyond supporting you in your energy optimizations, our vision is to give you this transparency in real time. Price data allows you to make better decisions for your business.

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The subscribed power must be calculated according to the consumption profile and uses (heating, industrial processes, tertiary equipment). One fine analysis makes it possible to ensure the adequacy between real need and contract.
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La Multiannual Energy Programming (PPE) is the strategic management tool for France's energy policy. Established by the 2015 law on energy transition for green growth (LTECV), it serves as a compass for the State, communities and businesses.
Concretely, the PPE sets the priorities for action of the public authorities for the management of all forms of energy on the national territory. It covers a period of ten years, divided into two periods of five years, and must be revised periodically to adapt to technological and economic developments.
It deals with major topics such as:
It is crucial not to confuse it with National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC). While SNBC sets carbon budgets (the ceilings for greenhouse gas emissions by sector), the PPE determines the technical and energy resources to achieve them.
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Non. L'IA traite la donnée (data processing), mais l'analyste apporte la compréhension du contexte (market sentiment) et la prise de décision stratégique.
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The €/MWh is a price unit used in wholesale markets, while kWh is the unit visible on your bills.
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Yes. The supplier guarantees an offer 100% renewable via the official Guarantees of Origin (GO) mechanism.
For the most demanding companies, the offer GREENVOLT+ ensures very low carbon intensity electricity, sourced exclusively from independent French producers (hydraulic, wind, solar).
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Absolument. La réforme des heures creuses vise à absorber la surproduction solaire en milieu de journée. Les créneaux d'heures creuses se déplacent progressivement vers la plage 11h00 – 17h00, notamment en été. C'est une opportunité majeure pour les sites industriels ou tertiaires capables de flexibilité.
Conseil stratégique :
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Le transport (RTE) correspond aux "autoroutes" de l’électricité. Il s’agit de transporter de très grandes quantités d'énergie sur de longues distances, depuis les centrales de production (nucléaires, barrages, parcs éoliens offshore) vers les régions de consommation.
La distribution (Enedis) s'apparente aux "routes départementales" et aux rues. Elle récupère l'électricité à la sortie du réseau de transport pour la livrer directement chez le client final, en abaissant la tension pour qu'elle soit utilisable par vos appareils.
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Communities are subject to taxes such as TICFE or TICGN. Sirenergies analyzes invoices, identifies exemption possibilities and fixes possible errors to reduce the tax burden.
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C'est l'indicateur d'efficacité d'un appareil électrique ; il représente le ratio entre la puissance active (utile) et la puissance apparente (totale).
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Among the taxes include TICFE, TICGN, CTA, CJA and TURPE. They represent a significant part of the bill and vary according to consumption profiles. Understanding them well is essential to optimize costs.
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L'augmentation s'explique par la revalorisation de l'Accise sur le gaz à 16,39 €/MWh et la hausse de 3,41 % du tarif de transport (ATRT 8).
S'y ajoute l'entrée en vigueur des Certificats de Production de Biogaz (CPB), un nouveau coût réglementaire pour soutenir le biométhane.
Face à ces évolutions, Sirenergies vous accompagne dans l'achat de gaz naturel pour sécuriser vos prix malgré la volatilité du marché.
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Le kVA mesure la capacité maximale que votre compteur peut supporter à un instant T, tandis que le kWh mesure la quantité d'énergie consommée sur une durée.
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The central objective of PPE 3 is to engage France towards carbon neutrality by 2050 by breaking the country's historical dependence on fossil fuels.
Today, approximately 60% of final energy consumption in France still relies on imported oil and natural gas. PPE 3 aims to radically reverse this trend by setting an ambitious target: to reach 60% of carbon-free energies in final consumption by 2030.
To achieve this, PPE 3 pursues three major sub-objectives:
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La réussite d'un projet collectif énergie repose sur trois piliers fondamentaux :
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Ce seuil est jugé élevé par rapport aux prévisions actuelles du marché. Si le prix de l'électricité reste en dessous de 78 €/MWh, les entreprises ne bénéficieront d'aucune redistribution. Cela signifie que la protection promise par la réforme pourrait être inexistante dans un marché baissier, d'où l'importance de stratégies de sourcing agiles et d'outils de monitoring comme Pilott.
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The range E @sy is available in four pricing structures to adapt to each risk profile:
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Le prix Forward est fixé à l'avance (sécurité budgétaire), tandis que le prix Spot varie heure par heure selon le marché (opportunité mais risque élevé).
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Farms are subject to taxes such as TICFE or TICGN. Sirenergies verifies their application, identifies cases of exemption and accompanies the procedures to reduce the tax burden.
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This makes it possible to choose the right time to contract, secure your budgets and anticipate increases.
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En 2025, la France a atteint un solde exportateur net de 92,3 TWh, battant le précédent record de 2024 (89 TWh).
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Sourcing consists in identifying and analysing the offers of several electricity and gas suppliers. This approach makes it possible to obtain contracts adapted to the consumption profile and budgetary constraints of the company.
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C'est le levier le plus rapide pour obtenir des résultats visibles. L'éclairage représente environ 40 % de la consommation d'électricité d'une commune.
Passer au LED avec pilotage intelligent permet de réduire la facture de 50 à 80 %, avec un retour sur investissement (ROI) rapide, souvent estimé à 2 ou 3 ans.
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Industrial companies consume large volumes of energy for their production processes. They have to deal with the volatility of prizes, multi-site management and specific taxes. Controlling costs is essential to remain competitive.
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Oui, elle est considérée comme une énergie renouvelable à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre.
De plus, l'eau ne subit aucune transformation chimique durant le cycle de production et réintègre son milieu naturel en aval.
Cependant, la construction de barrages nécessite des mesures pour protéger les écosystèmes (débit minimum, passes à poissons).
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In 2025, the supplier had a NPS (Net Promoter Score) of +16 and a note of 4,17/5.
Satisfaction is based on a “zero solicitation” model and 100% in-house customer service in Toulon, guaranteeing proximity and responsiveness that cannot be found with major historical suppliers.
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Sourcing offers better visibility on the market and promotes the selection of competitive contracts. It helps to reduce the risks associated with price volatility and to optimize the energy budget.
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Parce que la puissance souscrite en kVA détermine le prix de l'abonnement et que tout dépassement peut entraîner des surcoûts importants.
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En 2026, les principaux leviers sont : la renégociation de votre contrat de fourniture au bon moment, l'optimisation de votre tarif d'acheminement (TURPE), la vérification de votre éligibilité aux taux réduits de taxes (Accise), et la réduction de votre consommation (efficacité énergétique, autoconsommation).
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These are signals sent by RTE during periods of tension on the electrical network. The Sirenergies tool informs you in real time to anticipate your uses.
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En analysant votre courbe de charge pour identifier la puissance réelle appelée, puis en demandant un ajustement à votre fournisseur ou via un expert en énergie.
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L'ARENH est remplacé par le VNU (Versement Nucléaire Universel), un mécanisme de redistribution des revenus excédentaires d'EDF en cas de prix très élevés, et par les CAPN, des contrats long terme pour les gros industriels.
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Plusieurs leviers existent pour préserver la fiscalité locale :
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L'impact dépendra des prix de marché. Le mécanisme prévoit une redistribution si les prix dépassent 78 €/MWh. Cependant, si les cours restent bas (actuellement autour de 60 €/MWh), le dispositif ne s'activera pas. La facture sera alors indexée à 100% sur les prix de marché, rendant le choix du fournisseur et du moment d'achat critiques.
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Farms must deal with high seasonal needs (greenhouse heating, irrigation, storage) and high volatility of prizes. Controlling these costs is essential to maintain profitability and secure the business.
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Pas nécessairement sur votre facture finale. Si les prix de gros (le prix de l'énergie brute) ont baissé, les coûts d'acheminement (TURPE) et certaines taxes augmentent, compensant souvent la baisse de la part énergie.
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Les profits include a direct reduction in bills, strengthened budgetary forecasting and better control of consumption. Businesses gain visibility and efficiency thanks to adapted tools.
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One invoice consists of several elements: consumption, supplier share, taxes and contributions. The analysis of each line makes it possible to identify possible errors and to check the consistency with the signed contract.
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Exceeding capacity leads to financial penalties and can impact the size of the contract. Adjust the correctly subscribed power makes it possible to avoid these additional costs.
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Un appel d’offres permet de mettre en concurrence plusieurs fournisseurs d’électricité et de gaz afin d’obtenir des conditions contractuelles optimisées. C’est une démarche transparente qui permet de choisir l’offre la plus adaptée aux besoins budgétaires et techniques de l’organisation.
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Car les marchés dépendent de facteurs exogènes imprévisibles (géopolitique, météo soudaine, politique) que les modèles basés sur l'historique ne peuvent pas anticiper, tout comme on ne prédit pas le Loto.
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Changing suppliers can allow you to benefit from more competitive prices, adapted services or better contractual conditions. Thanks to sourcing, change is happening without interruption of supply.
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La fin de l'ARENH (Accès Régulé à l'Électricité Nucléaire Historique) marque l'arrêt de la fourniture d'électricité à prix fixe garanti (42 €/MWh).
Dès le 1er janvier 2026, les entreprises sont exposées aux prix de marché, mais deux nouveaux mécanismes de régulation prennent le relais, bien que leur logique soit différente :
Conseil stratégique : Ne comptez pas sur le VNU pour réduire votre facture en 2026 si les marchés restent stables. Auditez vos contrats dès maintenant pour intégrer une part de prix fixe ou explorer des "Power Purchase Agreements" (PPA) pour sécuriser vos coûts sur le long terme.
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Instauré en 2017, ce dispositif répond à un enjeu de sécurité nationale.
L'électricité ne se stockant pas à grande échelle, le réseau doit être capable de répondre instantanément à la demande, même lors des pics de froid hivernaux. Le mécanisme incite financièrement les producteurs à maintenir leurs centrales disponibles et les entreprises à réduire leur consommation (effacement) lors de ces périodes critiques.
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Ce record de 92,3 TWh s'explique par la conjonction de trois facteurs :
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Idéalement entre 6 et 12 mois avant l'échéance, de préférence au printemps ou au début de l'été lorsque la demande est plus faible.
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Some businesses may obtain a partial or total exemption from the TICFE or the TICGN, depending on their activity and energy intensity. The support of an expert makes it possible to identify the eligibility criteria and to put together the file.
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La Vente de Nucléaire Universelle (VNU) est le nouveau mécanisme de régulation des prix de l'électricité en France. Contrairement à l'ARENH, il ne s'agit plus d'un volume fixe à prix réduit, mais d'une redistribution financière des revenus excédentaires d'EDF aux consommateurs, basée sur les prix de marché et les coûts de production du nucléaire historique.
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L'abondance de production française tire les prix du marché de gros vers le bas.
En vertu du mécanisme de l'Ordre de Mérite (Merit Order), les centrales les moins coûteuses (nucléaire, renouvelables) couvrent la demande plus souvent, évinçant les centrales à gaz ou charbon plus onéreuses.
Cela multiplie les épisodes de prix bas, voire négatifs, sur le marché spot.
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Le processus repose sur l'utilisation de la force de l'eau (énergie cinétique) issue des courants, des chutes d'eau ou des dénivelés. Le fonctionnement suit trois étapes clés :
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Même le bâtiment le plus moderne et le mieux isolé perd son efficacité si ses usages sont inadaptés. La technologie et les normes ne suffisent pas : la transition énergétique est avant tout une transformation humaine.
Derrière chaque kilowattheure consommé se cache une habitude.
Un collaborateur sensibilisé comprend qu'ouvrir une fenêtre alors que le chauffage est allumé ou laisser un ordinateur en veille consomme de l'énergie inutilement. En replaçant l'humain au centre de la stratégie de gestion de l'énergie, l'entreprise s'assure que ses équipements performants sont utilisés de manière optimale, garantissant ainsi une rentabilité durable et un impact environnemental réduit.
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Tertiary companies must manage their energy costs while guaranteeing the comfort of users (offices, shops, services). Consumption is often linked to heating, air conditioning and lighting, which requires precise monitoring to avoid budgetary excesses.
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The industry is concerned by TICFE, TICGN and other contributions that may represent an important part of invoices. Sirenergies identifies cases of exemption and accompanies the procedures to benefit from them.
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Chaque modèle d'IA répond à un besoin spécifique du cycle d'achat :
L'expertise humaine reste néanmoins indispensable.
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Le dispositif ARENH a laissé place au VNU (Versement Nucléaire Universel).
Ce changement structurel expose davantage les entreprises aux prix de gros, rendant la gestion des risques plus complexe qu'auparavant.
Il devient alors indispensable de définir une stratégie d'achat d'électricité avec Sirenergies pour lisser l'impact de la volatilité des marchés sur votre budget.
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Tertiary companies are concerned by taxes such as TICFE or TICGN. Sirenergies checks the accuracy of invoices, identifies possible exemptions, and helps correct errors to sustainably reduce costs.
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Le calendrier 2026 impose deux échéances majeures :
Pour simplifier ces démarches, vous pouvez centraliser vos données de consommation avec la plateforme Pilott de Sirenergies, garantissant ainsi la conformité de vos rapports réglementaires.
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All businesses, from SMEs to large organizations, can benefit from this service. Les local authorities also find it a lever to better control their budgets.

