Gas: CRE announces a 6.6% rise in the benchmark price on November 1, to €194.90 incl. VAT per megawatt-hour

A new increase announced for November 1

The Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), France's energy regulator, announced on Monday, October 12, 2026 that the benchmark gas price would rise again the following month. According to Le Figaro, the increase will be 6.6% incl. VAT on November 1. The daily describes it as a new rise in gas prices for some French households.

BFM Business specifies that, following this change, the benchmark gas sale price will average €194.90 incl. VAT per megawatt-hour.

After the September and October increases

According to BFM Business, this move follows two successive increases in the benchmark price: 5.6% on September 1, then 6.3% on October 1. The news site writes that gas prices "are not done soaring," a phrase that is its own commentary. Le Figaro, for its part, speaks of an increase added to those already implemented, using the word "again" ("encore") in its headline.

A change linked to gas markets

According to both outlets, the CRE presents the November increase as the consequence of higher prices on gas markets in September compared with August. According to BFM Business, the benchmark sale price is made up of three components: transmission, taxes and supply. The CRE indicates that only the supply component changes on November 1.

The impact on consumers

According to Le Figaro, for consumers whose contract is indexed to this benchmark price, the increase is expected to average €12 incl. VAT. This is a calculation by the sector's regulator, which the newspaper calls the "energy watchdog." The sources consulted provide no further details on the number of households affected or on how this increase is distributed across contract types.

A higher annual bill in 2026

The CRE has also put forward an estimate for the full year. Provided the situation remains broadly stable until year-end, the 2026 annual gas bill could be on average 11% higher than that of 2025, or about €135 incl. VAT more, according to Le Figaro and BFM Business. Le Figaro adds that, according to the CRE, prices at the start of the year had been relatively low.

Analysis

This analysis relies solely on the information reported by Le Figaro and BFM Business. The CRE explains the November 1 increase by the change in market prices between August and September, and only the supply component of the benchmark price varies on that date. The annual estimate is, according to the regulator, conditional on a broadly stable situation until the end of the year: it therefore does not constitute a firm forecast. The sources do not detail the level of market prices themselves or the outlook beyond November. Nor do they say how the CRE explained the September and October increases.