Energy suppliers have agreed to guarantee France's very small businesses (VSEs) an average electricity tariff of 280 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2023, Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.

"France's very small businesses will pay no more than 280 euros per MWh on average (...) in 2023," said the minister, speaking to the press at Bercy after a meeting with energy suppliers.

This tariff is "excellent news for all very small businesses, for all bakers, for all craftsmen (...). It's a huge relief", he added.

The scheme concerns 600,000 VSEs that do not benefit from regulated tariffs, and applies, without retroactivity, to companies that signed a contract in the second half of 2022, he added. These companies will not need to ask their suppliers to renegotiate their contracts in order to benefit from this guaranteed tariff, but will need to send them a form, he added.

Friday's meeting at Bercy comes a day after Emmanuel Macron called on energy suppliers to renegotiate "excessive contracts" with very small businesses, against a backdrop of soaring electricity and gas prices in 2022.

Prior to this meeting, the TotalEnergies group had announced an "update" of its tariff schedule for very small businesses, proposing a rate of 320 euros per MWh. (Written by Nicolas Delame, edited by Bertrand Boucey)