Who says new year says new rules. Since January 1, 2023, major changes have already taken effect in several sectors such as energy, telecoms, finance and the automotive industry. We take stock.
Increase in energy prices
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From January 1, 2023, energy prices will increase for the French. After a few months of state support, the increases will be more significant at the start of the year.
First at the pump, with the end of the fuel discount. Until December 31, 2022, the State paid 10 cents per liter of fuel. This system ends on January 1, 2023. Instead, the State has provided aid of 100 euros for the most modest French people, or around 10 million people according to the criteria presented by the government.
If you heat with gas, the bill is also likely to rise from January 1, 2023. The Energy Commission has in fact set a 15% increase in the regulated prices of natural gas.
Finally, if you have still not accepted to install a Linky meter in your home, this refusal will be billed to you around sixty euros per year from 2023. This device aims to compensate for the installation of a less efficient meter, requiring more maintenance. Until the end of 2024, it is possible to circumvent this billing by taking your own statement. But from 2025, it will be necessary to go to the cash register.
Transport: electric cars and carpooling
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If you were planning to buy an electric car in 2023, now is the time to update yourself on the aid on offer. From January 1, the devices change.
The ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric vehicle decreases: it goes from 6,000 euros in 2022 (7,000 for the most modest households) to 5,000 euros in 2023. This reassessment was already planned for July 2022 but the State has chosen to extend this aid for another six months to facilitate the transition.
A new device compensates for this drop in the ecological bonus but is limited to consumers with lower incomes. A zero-rate loan is in fact set up for the purchase of an electric car. To benefit from it, you must be an individual, have limited income and live in certain large cities in France. The €100/month car promised by Emmanuel Macron therefore seems a long way off, for the moment.
Still in the transport section, the State has set up a system to encourage the French to start carpooling. Drivers who regularly use carpooling will receive a bonus of 100 euros, either in the form of cash or in the form of fuel vouchers. How carpoolers are rewarded will be decided by each platform.
The payment of this aid is progressive. A first boost of 25 euros is given during the first carpool. The remaining 75 euros are given after 10 trips.
Telecoms: increase in packages and end of canvassing
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With the exception of Free, all telecom operators have announced an increase in the prices of their fixed and mobile plans. This increase affects most of the time all the formulas offered and reaches an average of 3 euros per subscription. So much for the bad news.
Among the positive changes, let us highlight the end of canvassing with telephone numbers starting with 06 and 07. These codes are therefore reserved for private individuals: companies specializing in canvassing or ephemeral communications (delivery personnel, drivers, etc.) will have to use a number starting with 09.
Orange also announced that theLandline numbers could now follow you as you move. Like the mobile number, the landline number can therefore be subject to portability, i.e. if you live today in a region with the area code 04, you can keep it even if you get out of the area. Please note, the overseas departments and territories are not concerned.
Finally, the La Poste group announced the end of the red stamp in favor of the red e-letter. Rather than writing, printing, buying a stamp and posting, it will be possible to access a page dedicated to sending simple mail on the La Poste website.
The method is simple: you go to the site, type a letter and indicate the recipient. We pay (of course) then La Poste takes care of printing and franking the letter to send it to your recipient.
Finance: rise in the PEL, crypto reform
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For this start of the 2023 school year, there is also level in the field of finance. The state first announced an increase in the minimum wage around 1.81%, or around twenty euros per month for a 35-hour contract per week. An increase considered low by the social partners while inflation over one year reached 6.2% in November 2022.
At the same time, the rate of the Housing Savings Plan (PEL) is increasing. While it capped at 1% in 2022, the PEL rate reached 2% in 2023. Please note that this rate does not apply to PELs already opened but only to those created from 1 January 2023.
Finally, the world of cryptos is also entitled to its small change for the start of the 2023 school year. Capital gains will be taxed at 12.8% (excluding social security contributions), whether you are an individual or a professional.
When declaring taxes, it is always possible to choose between this tax or the progressive scale of the tax. It is up to everyone to see what is the most interesting in terms of taxation. Moreover, do not hesitate to follow our complete guide to properly declare your cryptos to taxes.
Streaming: end of Netflix account sharing
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Apart from the new catalogs announced by the different platforms, there is one that has decided to change its rules. As of January 1, 2023, Netflix has decided to end account sharing.
Gradually, throughout the year, the number 1 streaming platform therefore intends to put an end to this practice which would cause it to lose millions each month.
Thus, people attached to a family account who are not part of the same family will have to go to the cash register. Netflix has not yet communicated the price of this participation but according to sources familiar with the matter, the company would have planned a price close to its most affordable offer to encourage users to switch to their own formula. To ease the transition, Netflix has developed a tool to transfer a profile to a new account. Smart.
Finally, the French OCS (Orange Cinema Series) is losing one of its greatest assets to its competitors. Since January 1, 2023, the HBO catalog (Game of Thrones, House of Dragon, Handmaid’s Tale, Westworld etc.) is no longer integrated into the platform. HBO thus puts an end to an exclusive partnership of 10 years.
For the time being, we do not know where the series of the American group will be broadcast. In the United States and some European countries, HBO offers its own streaming platform. In France, the service is long overdue but no arrival date has been communicated.
So much for the major changes of 2023 in terms of tech, telecoms, energy, finance, etc. Other advances will take place this year, in particular on the health aspect. For example, since January 1, 2023, condoms are free for those under 26 and emergency contraception free for all women, without a prescription. Significant upheavals for our society.
